After The Storm
by SniperGirl0907
Summary: Movieverse AU: Life goes on, but it's hard for some to adjust to post-war life; and everyone else is starting to feel the strain. It's a question of give and take, learning to make compromises, and learning to adapt to new circumstances. Chapter 2 of the Tomorrow Is Forever Coming saga: OC centric:
1. Prologue

**A/N: **So, this is chapter 2 of the Tomorrow Is Forever Coming saga: I'm sorry to say this fic doesn't involve any bot on con fighting action :( it's really more a soap drama, & to be honest I might have been getting a little ahead of myself in some places on this one, but there's a lot of issues a lot of the characters have that need to be got out in the open, not least Magestrix (I think I might have given her too many issues to deal with _ , but I'll let be the judge of that); so be prepared, there's quite a bit of drama, stupid over-reactions, bitchiness, being a complete douche, tenseness & a bit of family mushiness in this fic.

The basis for this story came when I bought my poppy last year (the British Legion's poppy appeal) & I got curious & did a little googling on life for soldiers who're returning from combat & trying to readjust to civilian/domestic life. It's not easy, and unfortunately its a subject most take for granted :( in the case of the Autobots, (namely the 9, my OC's) its a very complicated thing, it's not so much the trauma (which probably will come to light in later stories) but getting used to post-war life in general. After all, when your whole life is dedicated to war, what do you do when that war has come to an end? I figured different Autobots would handle it in different ways, some better than others, & some...well? why don't you read on & find out? ;)

**Note:** This prologue _is_ an important part of the story, (remember that warning on cryptic parts I mentioned on my profile page? this is one of them) it ties into the saga as a whole, so it's not reverent to _this_ particular fic; but it _will_ have reliance in a later story. Curious?, stick around read on ;) I hope you enjoy!

**Rating:** No blood & gore or le sexy time (human or otherwise ¬_¬); but there's gonna be quite a lot of profanity & (probably) some naught themes here & there. So it's a T just to be on the safe side ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

PROLOGUE 

The late summer was always a rich time for nature.

That's one of the things she liked about this place.

Walking along the overgrown path, she glanced at the forest life all around her as she went on her way. The rich ripe blackberries and the thick swollen sloe berries were abundant this year; so rich and full in their juices they were fit to burst in a thick gooey mess if they were not picked with care. Amid the branches and thick undergrowth the blackbird, mistle thrush and song thrush tossed the leaf-litter about in their search for tender grubs and insects, the Green finch, Bull finch and Chaff finch picked and pecked at the fluffy thistle seeds in a frantic haste, and the robin had begun singing his winter melody, and following her as she walked by.

The robins knew humans were no threat here; they were safe amid their strange stone structures, and well provided for in the worst of the winter.

After climbing over the stile that was set in the broad Cornish hedge, she stopped a moment, reached into the pocket of her tweed coat, and produced a handful of breadcrumbs she had stashed away. She laid the crumbs on one of the large protruding serpentine steps, and it wasn't long before the robin flew down from his perch in the Blackthorn and began pecking away at the generous offering; though she stood not more than a meter away, the tiny bird was completely unfazed by her presence, as if she wasn't there at all, he knew she wouldn't hurt him.

All the song birds knew they had no reason to fear man. Some were just more used to him and his kin than others.

She left the robin to his meal, and continued along the path into an open field that had not been cut or grazed in a long time; out here, the sounds of the forest echoed far out and all around as the wind had dropped completely; being this close to the sea, it wasn't often the wind was still like this...

That could be a problem, because anyone could hear her...

Looking around, she soon spotted the reason she had come here; at the end of the field, parked next to the old rusted wrought-iron gate was a dark blue 1958 Morgan 4/4 series 2: beautifully polished and in very good condition. Leaning on the front of the grill was a gentleman of distinct appearance, dressed in smart tweed trousers, a white shirt with a dapper paisley waistcoat (complete with a neatly folded handkerchief tucked into the breast pocket), and a smart blue and yellow stripped blazer slung over the driver's seat; he looked like he'd just come fresh from the Boat Race, or some other well-to-do event that carried a strict dress code. He looked to be in his late fifties with hazel-green eyes and thick wavy greyish silver hair that was combed back into a sleek smart style, he also sported a well-trimmed handlebar mustache, and a gold tooth set in his charming smile. As she approached him, he stood up and walked towards her, she loosened the silk scarf around her neck and removed the sunglasses from her eyes, revealing a pair of sharp wolf-like dark brown eyes that looked him up and down, studying him with particular criticism. She stopped a moment as if to maintain a cautious distance, and stood up straight with an air of stringent discipline about her, making it clear she was the one in charge here: he obliged and submissively stopped some several feet from her; he knew the reason for her caution, and it would be improper of him to be blase about it.

"You still wear that ghastly waistcoat?" she asked in a scrupulous tone; not pleased, but not disappointed either.

"Some things never go out of fashion" he grinned, unconcerned about her stringent manner

She paused a moment, reading the subtlety of his body language for any sign of dishonesty,

"So it would seem..." she said offhand, "You're looking well; retirement suits you"

"Retired? Me? Where did the devil did you get that notion?" he joked,

She smiled before turning serious again: "...You weren't followed?"

His smile dropped, and met her daunting gaze with an honest look: "Of course not; the boys at Whitehall went to a lot of trouble to find you, we wouldn't have gone to all the trouble if we didn't think this was absolutely necessary" he said seriously, the charm gone from his tone. She studied him a moment longer, before gesturing for him to follow her, and together they slowly walked side by side along the path that went around the edge of the field.

"I received Whitby's email last night, code: Redwing. How bad is it?" she asked, her tone unwavering.

"Very bad: It seems our 'old friend's' original statement about Prometheus was right on the mark" he replied

"They're on the move?"

"Yes, but only because they discovered we'd infiltrated them..."

She stopped, frowning sharply in stern solicitousness: "...What happened?"

He hesitated a brief second, before explaining: "Six months ago our American partners and some of our lads went deep undercover into Project Broadsword; it was meant to be a probing mission, to find out exactly how far they'd been kept 'above classified'. The mission went to plan, until-...we discovered the _real _reason they were formed in the first place"

"And?" she pressed him

"...NEST has been compromised" he replied in a grave tone, "Prometheus's mole is already in, and he's making himself right at home with them"

"Why hasn't Galloway been informed? Of the people you come to _me_ instead of him?" she snapped

"It's not that simple Moirai..." he replied, "We _know_ who the mole is. It's Silas"

At the mention of the name she stopped and stared at him in astonishment; dazed at first, her stern assertive presence turned into a hesitant look of worry; "...Where the bloody hell has _that bastard_ been hiding all this time?!" she cursed

"We don't know, but Prometheus must have been really rattled to take such a drastic measure and have one of their top dogs become directly involved. We can only assume their preparing to make their final move on the Autobots"

"And the Decepticons?"

"All but one of the seven scouting party that we tracked across North America and Canada have been captured by Project Broadsword: our other agents out in the field reported the one near Berlin was apprehended three days ago, the one's in France, Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand four days before that, and the others in Italy, Egypt, Greece, Palestine and Thailand were caught in the last forty eight hours. The ones in China, Japan, Hawaii, Fiji and Borneo are still unaccounted for, but we don't think it'll be long before their caught too"

"The Autobots will become suspicious" she frowned, "They've been fighting and hunting those monsters far longer than we have; it'll only be a matter of time before they discover they were out there in the world: they'll smell a rat"

"And when they do they're going to want to find answers; which is why we're stepping up our plans too. The probing mission may have ended in failure but it wasn't for nothing; we got the data we needed, and now all we need is come up with our own plan of action. Starting with you"

"Pardon?"

"Whitehall wants you back; and they want you to head up our unit"

She stared at him nonplussed

"Finley you _know _why I can't go back, I promised-"

"-You promised Karlovski you would keep his secret," he interrupted, "And you will, I never told Whitby about that meeting in Bideford. As far as he knows, all that happened was one of our American constituents was passing along some intel for confirmation, and that's all..."

"...You-, never told him?"

"Why are you so surprised? I was there too remember? I heard everything he said; do you seriously think Whitby would've taken Karlovski at his word if he knew what _he_ knew?"

She regarded him with an exasperated look

"It was a pretty outrageous story" she smiled

"But one that proved to be right on the mark" he nodded, "You were the only one he trusted with-, 'those secrets', only _you_ know what to expect from Silas and his colleges. And if Prometheus really is on the move we've only got so much time before the window of opportunity closes, after that, trying to gain _any_ form of tactical advantage over them will be impossible"

She let her gaze drop as she contemplated his words

"...I know, when you left you didn't have many reserves about how Whitby would handle things in your stead"

"He's a capable man, a little uptight but nobody's perfect; I wouldn't have asked him if I didn't think he could handle it" she replied confidently

"And he's done a splendid job: but he's not you, he's not been involved on such a deep level, and despite his tactical experience I don't think he'll be willing to go to the same lengths as you to make sure the job's done right. There's not that many men in our profession that can measure up to _your_ standard and still have the balls to stand up to those pencil pushers in the JIC"

"Oh Please" she scowled "Those spineless little sycophants? I'd eat them alive, and they bloody well know it" she growled in a sly tone

"And that's why they never said MI6 was no place for a woman" he chuckled

"Not to my face at least..." she added in a lighter tone, before getting back to the subject at hand; "But I'm not the only one who's involved on such a deep level"

He paused; studying the look of muted worry etched across her face, he realized who she was referring to: "You're worried about them"

From out of her pocket she produced her purse, and took out the small family photo within; four young faces, bright and happy together: she smiled nostalgically as she remembered them, "...I worry about them everyday" she mused aloud, this time in a softer, more anxious voice, ", and while I know their 'guardian' will look after them, he can only do so much"

"But they're not entirely defenseless" he pointed out

"Very true" she nodded, "They've always been able to handle themselves: their Brigg's, we've _always_ been made of harder stuff, and always ready to do our duty..." she stuffed the photo back in her purse and met his gaze with her stern look again.

"If this goes to hell they'll be right in the middle of it"

"All the more reason we need you back; like you said, their made of harder stuff, and I don't think it'll be completely beyond them to step up to _this_. They and the others are in a vulnerable position, but their also in a unique one: the Waineright girls don't know about their Grandmother, no one at NEST knows about Silas, and Witwicky doesn't know the real truth about his great-great Grandfather. They may be within Prometheus's reach, but Prometheus is close to them too, maybe too close"

"You think they might be able to take advantage of them?" she frowned

"If their all as extraordinary as you say they are; I have no doubt they will discover truth, and will find a way to bring them down"

She contemplated his words for a moment, before stating confidently, "Alright", she turned to head back the way they'd came, "When do they want me back?"

"We've already taken care of the paper work; there's a flight to Heathrow leaving from Newquay tonight at seven"

"I'll be ready; what's the clearance?" she asked, at that he discreetly slipped her a business card and she placed it in her breast pocket.

"Thornton and Stanley will be there to meet you; but what will you tell the rest of your family?"

"Horatio will improvise; he always does. He knows when duty calls ones personal feelings cannot be a priority" she stated in an unreadable tone

"And what about your personal feelings?" he asked cautiously

She didn't reply, and glanced at him with a sharp knowing look. "Right, I forgot" he smiled: "Just get me to London and bring me up to speed" she replied

"Yes ma'am" he smiled, she stopped and regarded him with a strange look.

"What? Did you think I was going to call you sir?" he grinned

"You haven't changed a bit..." she smiled with a sly look in her eye

"You haven't either"

"Just be ready for takeoff" she turned to head back to the stile

"And what about John?" he asked

"...What about him?"

"You're not worried about him too?"

"After what he survived in Iraq, please: it's my Grandchildren I'm concerned about" she said, and headed off back the way she came.

In the forest and nearby hedgerows, the birds sang their evening chorus, and what was spoken here, was known only to them...

...And the old man, watching them from the shadows of the trees...

* * *

It should be noted: the robin in this prologue is a European/British robin, not an American one. The British robins are very bold little fellows, once they get used to you, they will happily take food from your palm; its magic! :3

Also, Cornish Hedges are only found in Cornwall, England. Unlike regular hedgerows, they consist of 2 stone walls (serpentine, slate, granite or whatever stone is at hand) spaced a half to a meter apart, filled in with dirt & earth and allowed to let blackthorn and other native plant life flourish. Some of them are huge, one of the biggest I've come across had a 8 meter blackthorn growing out from the top! & their very hard to destroy, that's why traffic accidents in Cornwall that result in people crashing into Cornish hedges often have the worst injuries (if not the most whip-lash)

Oh, 1 other thing: the guy Finley; I got the basic idea for after seeing Finn McMissile from Cars 2 XD. I when I first thought of him, I just knew I wanted him to be a proper English Gentlemen rather than some guy; well dressed and well mannered, he's got a part to play much later on in the saga so he won't be reappearing for quite a few stories. As for the mystery lady? She'll be reappearing much later on too, but her identity will be kept secret so no spoilers on her I'm afraid...But the old man? I've been working on him for long time XD, he's gonna be cropping up very briefly here & there in each story, but when you find out who is really is, well? I'm not usually one for blowing my own trumpet; but I promise, your mind will be blown! Nuff said.

Anyway, please let me know what you think, & stay tuned for the next installment, the main story will kick off then! ;)


	2. Chpt 1: Life At NEST

**A/N:** Okay, this chapter kinda picks up from the last chapter of Tomorrow Is Forever Coming, so there's kind of a 'business goes on as usual' vibe, or at least that's how I tried to make it. To be honest I probably could've done better on this chapter in some places; but the story has to start somewhere and in the end I figured 'meh, what the heck, it'll do' :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 1: Life at NEST

NEST HQ/Autobot base: somewhere in the Californian desert:

"Okay, so we got the logistical problems of the forward thrusters finally sorted, now what are we gonna do about the rear port-side thruster? Those coolers are going to need to be completely replaced, and the energon infusers are going to need _at least_ a week's worth of recalibrations so they can handle the new grades of energon we got here" Wheeljack said as he pointed to the engineering plans.

"That's not going to be a problem, I'll recalibrate them myself. That ships been my home for a long time, I know every inch of it like the back of my wings" Majestrix replied as she inspected a hologram of some sort of cybertronian engine part.

"You know? Considering she sank into an active volcano, I'm amazed the external force-fields stood up to the heat" the scientist said offhand

"Hm," she smiled, "She can harvest the energy of a sun's solar flare if we needed the extra power. I spared no expense when I had her built"

"Well, I don't know who you commissioned to design her, but if he ever comes to earth, first round of energon's on me!" Wheeljack grinned, "By the way, where are those daughters of yours?"

"Let's see-" Majestrix checked her internal chronometer, "It's coming up to the human's 'lunch' period, so they should be in the rec-room. Anyway-" she returned to her work, "These forward laser-cannons need to be brought forward by at least two feet, and the secondary missile launchers can be moved to the back of the mid-magazine, without the spark prison we've got a lot more space to work with now"

* * *

In the Rec-room:

The lunch hour was now in full swing, and the bots who'd managed to pry themselves away from their work were settling down to a cube of well-earned energon; the humans were settling down to their lunches too, as the scent of fresh fig and cinnamon pie filled the canteen, each troop eagerly tucked into their meal (with Botanica and her garden on the base, the humans were well-stocked with fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, spices and edible flowers for cooking). The human and cybertronian troops mingled and socialized as they always did, and chatted, gossiped, and laughed in happy abandonment...Apart from one femme, who hid herself away in the farthest corner of the room, with her little sister sitting across from her in awkward uneasiness.

"Why don't you just go and say hi? They're not bad at all" Novastar offered nervously

"Because I _don't want_ to say 'hi', at all" Eclipse deadpanned in a dry tone

"You didn't say hi the first time round! And that was rude!" Moonshine reprimanded as she pulled up a bot-sized chair with her tail, sat down with their energon cubes and handed them out respectively.

"Remind me again why you two are following me around the base?" the elder sister glanced at them disapprovingly; Novastar lowered her head in nervous submission, but Moonshine wasn't daunted, she only frowned and glared at her sister disapprovingly.

"Because you're social skills need some serious work! It's bad enough you've been putting down and snubbing the other bots who don't match up to your expectations of the perfect warrior, but treating the humans like fifth-class citizens has been outright disgraceful! I mean, okay flesh isn't everyone's cube of energon but you don't have to broadcast it right in front of them!" she frowned, flicking the tip of her tail in annoyance.

"I call it as I see it; and what I see, is an army that has _really_ let its standards slip over the eons" Eclipse dryly replied as she eyed the humans with disdain.

"Uh? In case you forgot, we've been _in stasis_ for the last twenty five thousand years! We don't have any right to say what Uncle Optimus's can and can't do with his army. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and when you haven't got a home planet to call your own, you improvise"

"By squatting on a meat-infected rock? I'd rather spend a month in the pit than have to put up with these miniature sycophants any longer!" Eclipse growled in a low whisper, making sure no one could hear her; Moonshine bared her teeth and smacked her sister up-side the back of her helm with her tail.

"Look! I'm as ticked off as you that Cybertron is gone, but that's no excuse to vent your rage on the humans! We're their guests here, and if you don't want to spend your time in exile on their moon I suggest you buck up and get over it! Besides, a species that can come up with such a diverse and stylish ensemble of altmode's isn't all _that_ bad! They have character, more than one sense of trend, and for the most part good color coordination. That's a start!" Moonshine argued; Eclipse propped her chin on her elbow and huffed, "You _do_ realize it was _a human_ that destroyed the Allspark right?"

"Yes I do-" Moonshine stated in a matter-of-factly way, "And I'm _not_ angry at him; this is _his_ planet, and he had as much right to defend it as the next organic being"

"Yeah, until the cons come back, then I'd like to see just how much confidence our 'great and noble' uncle has in the meat-sacks when they get squished underfoot"

"'Meat-sacks' that have learnt to split the atom are _not _something to backfire at _dear sister_," Moonshine smiled in a sweetly sarcastic tone, "And having a full arsenal of weapons that can melt our armor isn't something to snub either, so either you start keeping your opinions to yourself, or don't say anything at all! You may be a class-A snob but the last thing I want is to see you get kicked off this base for fowl-mouthing our little colleges" she added before taking a sip of her cube.

Amid the tenseness of the moment, Novastar suddenly perked up as she spotted someone familiar walk into the room, "-Oh, would you excuse me? I uh-, gotta go!" she smiled awkwardly as she got up and rushed to the bot of her interest; which in this case turned out the by Skywarp, he seemed as happy to see her as she did him, and after he grabbed himself a couple of cubes of energon, they left the rec-room together.

"That's another thing I don't approve of" Eclipse huffed as she watched her little sister leave.

"Oh please! Enough with the 'defectors are still cons' lecture! It's getting old!" Moonshine vented sharply; as the two sisters continued to argue over the subject, they didn't notice the two humans who had been overhearing their conversation under the table. Tom and Danny both exchanged annoyed looks, and let out a pair of exasperated sighs; they'd heard enough, so they took their food and headed out of the rec-room, following Skywarp and Novastar as they headed down the corridor and out into the open-air hanger. They passed under the giant looming forms of the Black Solstus, which was currently in the middle of its remodeling, the quiet star cruiser that was Omega Supreme, and the beloved Ark, which was having its routine maintenance check done by Perceptor and several the other bots.

After asking for a ride, the flyers both picked up the boys, activated their jets, and glided up above the canyon-like gorge; they passed over the airstrip, the hangers and one of the many labyrinths of rocks and boulders that surrounded the immediate outskirts of the base. Bobbing up and down over the huge rock formations, they finally arrived at their destination, the aptly named 'hang-out', which was a large cluster of boulders sitting at the entrance to a large cave (one of many that was part of the topography of this land). It was a less-than-well known gathering place for humans and bots alike, namely the kids and their guardians, where the cave provided relief from the harsh Californian sun, and where they could talk and just hang out in relative privacy.

"This. Sucks..." Miles vented as he flopped over one side of Jazz's shoulder, "One week on the job and we're not even considered 'rookies' at the very least!" he frowned sarcastically.

"Hey! What's the gripe-of-the-day today?" Skywarp asked as he perched himself next to Novastar on a large flat bolder, and handed her an energon cube.

"Eclipse practically flipped off Bee for trying to show her how to do a ground-level scan in the presence of magnetic interference" Sam thumbed over to his guardian, who was sitting cross-legged with his arms folded, and a dark frown across his face-plates that only a toddler who'd just thrown a tantrum could match.

"Ouch! You had _her_ today?" the seeker winced as he remembered said femme; and her less-than-approachable demeanor.

"It wasn't even a C-type test-run! It's not like we were aiming anything at her!" Glen argued

"Yeah she's-, not happy when she thinks people are telling her how to do her job" Novastar sighed in a fretful voice.

"*sigh* She thinks _everyone's _telling her how to do her job-" Bluestreak sighed before placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Believe me, I've getting that _all week_ from the other snipers..." he deadpanned in a dry tone.

A week is not a long time in most people's point of view; but when you're in the company of disagreeable individuals, a week can feel a lot longer.

It had been nine days in total since the 9 were brought out of stasis and introduced to the rest of the Autobots; no one was expecting it to be a smooth transition, with the first introductions still fresh in mind for most (particularly Longrange's), the general consensus had been that while the more friendly and sociable bots would take to their new posts with relative ease, the others would take some time to adjust and adapt to their new home (as had been the case with some of the other bots who came before them), but with the courtesy and respect to keep whatever negative opinions they had to themselves.

This unfortunately, had not been the case...

From the start, three bots in particular had vented their objections to living on this planet, and accepting the humans as their hosts...

"Which one?" Hot Rod asked, "Velocity mostly: she's been trying to pull the 'charm' on me all week, but I can see through _that_ act in an Iacon-minute!" the blue and orange gunner stated in a bold tone. Velocity, despite her charm and sensuous looks, was _no_ angel as far as most were concerned. More akin to some bitchy high-school cheerleader who was the queen-bee of her clique (as most of the humans described her): she had a snobbish and somewhat cold way of making 'light gossip' about others, and taking a mild yet particular delectation in seeing their self-doubt and unease when her sugar-coated-belittling reached their audios. When it came to the humans, as far as she was concerned they were 'beneath' her stature, and would often treat them like some upper-class man would regard his servants: lowly, not her equals, and would dismiss them just as rudely. But the object of her revel was trying to prove a 'ground-hugging inexperienced rookie' gunner like Bluestreak was not fit to call himself a sniper, and took particular delight in showing off her more daring skills on the firing range, both on the ground and in the air; needless to say her peacocking hadn't won her many admirers, and with Bluestreak as his part-time student Deathshot in particular _wasn't_ impressed at all.

"What about Coldbore? He's a _scary!_" Becca grimaced, "Yeah, like Golgo-13 kinda scary; he didn't-, you know? Give you that _look_?" Becky asked hesitantly. "He gives _everyone_ that look Becky it's nothing personal; that's just the way he's always been, _unfortunately_..." Deathshot replied dryly. A mech of simplicity and who lets his presence do the talking for him; Coldbore was a mech no one dared to approach lightly. Unsocial as he was vocal, Coldbore hardly spoke at all except for when he absolutely had to, and when he did, he wasn't one for engaging in idle chit-chat; despite his uncanny resemblance to Deathshot the two mech's couldn't be more different. While Deathshot occupied his time with the humans and other bots with a positive attitude, Coldbore was always seen by himself, unless he'd been paired up with another bot, and even then he wasn't much of a team-player: and when his shift was over he'd disappear until it was time to go back on duty again. Where he went off to was anyone's guess, but his cold and distant aura had an effect on everyone, and whenever he was nearby the temperature always felt like it had dropped by ten degrees; in a spooky sense it was the only warning anyone ever got of his presence if he couldn't be seen or heard, and working with him was _never_ a pleasure. His level of stealth was of such a high caliber that he could move around without making _any_ sound: one moment he'd be standing somewhere, you turn your back for a second and when you look back again, you'd see he was standing somewhere else. It was creepy and unnerving, and because of his stone-like poker face no one could tell if it was just the way he was, or if he was doing it deliberately; if it was meant to be fun, _no one_ was laughing.

"You know, I thought at first he'd be awesome for Halloween, that ninjabot-creeping style of his would be cool for some pranks. But after that 'altercation' in the gun cage I really don't like him...Come to think of it, I didn't like him to begin with" Sideswipe added in disappointed tone.

"_Him_ I can tolerate: it's that little _slag-head_ I can't stand..." Sunstreaker scowled in ire; knowing full-well who he was referring to, a collective wave of exasperated sighs and annoyed grunts resounded around the cave. "Don't even get me _started_ on him! Putting up with the Chevy's antics is one thing, but Longrange is a douche in a class of his own!" Darren frowned as he leaned back against Trailbreaker's knee.

By far, the most intolerable of the new arrives had proven to be a worse pain in the aft than Sunstreaker after he had his paintwork chipped (up until then, no one had even imagined there could be another bot with a _worse _attitude than him). Longrange, much to everyone's surprise was near the same age as Bluestreak and Bumblebee, though by looking at him one would think he was much older, his altmode alone was more suited for a fully-grown mech never mind his weapons, but well-preened wings and a bold paint job didn't compensate for his behavior, and this past week with him around had been a true test of patience and self-restraint. He was the most obnoxious, most arrogantly self-centered mech on the planet; he'd stroll through the base as if he were Prime himself and deliberately push and shove the smaller bots aside with his wings (which for a flyer was _not_ good decorum, even Thundercracker and Skywarp weren't that rude), he'd take cheap shots at anyone who so much as glanced at him the wrong way, and blatantly disrespect his superior officers. Mouthing off to Prowl, Ironhide, Red Alert or Jazz was bad enough, but telling Optimus how to his job? _That _was a shocker to witness, and unsurprisingly it didn't earn him any favors with any of the other Autobots; but it was his opinion and treatment of the humans that would keep the guardians anxiously on tenterhooks.

Whenever he'd be working in close proximity to the NEST troops or kids, he just _had_ to poke fun at them; on more than one occasion he picked them up and squeezed them too tightly, hold them the wrong way: practically dangling them between his fingers, and when no bot was around, try to stomp on them to see how fast they'd run for cover. When Bumblebee caught him in the act of one such incident and he told him it was 'just a bit of fun', it resulted in Longrange staggering to the med-bay to be treated for a nasty blow to the optic; for his 'neglect of an Autobot's conduct' Bumblebee was simply given a cautionary notice and told not to do it again; Longrange, for his part, received a long lengthily lecture on the rules of treating and respecting humans right (to which, unsurprisingly, he paid no particular attention). After that the young sniper became the number one target for the base's resident pranksters; one morning he woke up to the stench of rotten eggs that had been shoved into his intakes, the day after that he woke up to find egg-whites had been painted all over his armor, prompting him to get his paint-job completely redone; and the morning after that he woke up to find his sniper gun had been stuffed with extra-ripe manure from Botanica's garden. One wake-up prank usually did the job of letting someone know their behavior needed a serious overhaul, two to send the message home if necessary; but to the pranksters dismay their antics had only made the situation worse and now Longrange took no prisoners: no one was off-limits for a roasting, and his search for the pranksters kept everyone on edge; most people on the base knew (or least had a good idea) who they were, but for the sake of avoiding any ghastly deaths, they kept their vocalizers and mouths shut.

"I really thought the manure would do the job; three outta three _always_ works!" Miles replied, "Why didn't you warn us he had no sense of humor!" he frowned up at Deathshot.

"I did!" the sniper retorted, "I warned you the rotten eggs would be too much, but you just _had_ to go all out!"

"And now, thanks to you idiots we can't even be in the same room without him wanting to try and squish us!" Becca glared at Miles and Tom

"That. Was _completely_ unforeseen, and we apologize" Tom sighed

"But is was sweet to see the look on his face" Miles grinned

"You two are a two-man disaster, period" Sam rubbed his forehead in weariness

"As satisfying as it was, Bishop wasn't impressed either: you said it yourself Miles this is our first week on the job; and while having to put up with those idiots has been trying for everyone, we also have a responsibility to be mature about this..." Morri pointed out, before sighing at the hypocrisy of her own words, "...Even if we do suffer psychotic breaks in the process" she grimaced,

"She's right..." Ashley mewed in annoyance as he drummed his claws on a rock, "-I mean, okay their not the worst idiots I've had to handle, but the ones I dealt with in the past were always in range of my fists; being twenty plus feet high _isn't_ a fair advantage..." he huffed. The past week hadn't been an easy time for the pre-teen either; being a biological-cybernetic curiosity wasn't so bad around the others and his family: for the bots it was a subject of curiosity and fascination, even for the techno-organics, and for the humans it was met with both friendly curiosity and morbid curiosity. But for bots like Longrange it was an excuse to vent their prejudice; and on more than one occasion Ashley had lost his rag with the sniper.

"Aggression is the calling-card of a blandly weak intellect; and those cretins are as _bland_ as any mind could get..." Ravage growled, flicking his tail back and forth as Frenzy tried to pounce on it, "Suspecting we're still cons is one thing, and frankly I don't care much for those rumors and speculations any more: but what I _don't _tolerate is the sheer level stupidity. A mech mouthing off to Prime? I never thought anyone would have the brass bearings for that besides Sunstreaker, and even _he's_ not that disagreeable at the worst of times"

"That's what I don't get," Ashley got up and arched his back, "I mean, okay, I was a punk too once, but I was smart enough not to overstep my mark with mum and dad; but Longrange? Yesterday was _the third time_ in as many days he's taken a stab at Optimus, and he _still_ hasn't learnt you don't mouth off to _him_ of all bots! What's going on?"

"Prime is a mech of principle, and he knows Longrange has got a _long_ way to go before he's in a position to confidently state he knows what he's doing and mean it. He's probably waiting for the waiting for the right opportunity to teach him the importance of prudence, humility, and brevity in conduct" the panther explained

"But why doesn't he just do it now? And do us _all_ a big favor?" Tom asked offhand

"Sometimes some things don't come to us at the moment of our choosing; just as you have to wait for your prey to come within striking range; so you have to be patient and wait until you're ready to learn. Though in this case it couldn't come soon enough" Ravage sighed as he rolled on his side and stretched out to touch the sunlight with his paws.

"That's true" Morri nodded offhand,

Changing the subject slightly, Danny spoke up, "...We overheard Eclipse in the rec-room earlier, She's still brooding, if not more broodier than before"

"That, might be because she's seen next week's duty-roster" Deathshot winced slightly, his charges glanced up at him in worry. "Security duty?" Tom asked hesitantly: "And inventory in the munitions supplies: sorry" the sniper sent them an apologetic look.

Fed up, Sam slouched against Bumblebee; "This isn't fair; for the last week we've been their doormats! Where's Majestrix? I thought she was their commander?"

"She's been busy overseeing the Black Solstus's remodeling, I figured she felt Prime could talk some sense into them and so let him take the reins" Mikaela shrugged

"As much we all love the big guy he can't be everywhere at once, and if this week has been a prelude of the near foreseeable future, he's gonna _need_ to do something to put a stop to it, and soon" Hot Rod sighed

"Wait a sec..." Miles spoke up again, with an idea coming to mind; "Who said Prime had to be the _only_ one to put them in their place?"

"Huh?"

"They say the best form of revenge is success: so how about instead of giving them the satisfaction of getting the better of us, we get the better of them?" he proposed.

"I don't follow?" Glen asked

"Look, all week those douches have been putting us down saying we ain't got the chops to match up to their 'standards'; well how about we try setting the bar for 'our standards', and see if they can try to keep up for a change?" the blond teen grinned

"Play the enemy? ..." Morri realized, taking a second to think it over: "...If we do it right it could work, or at least give us some breathing space" she nodded in agreement

"I see, but how?" Sam asked

"Well? You've known them the longest D; how should we play this?" Tom asked with a sly smile, the sniper regarded him with an equally sly grin, and bent down to be closer to the humans, while the bots leaned in closer, listening eagerly.

* * *

Later that day:

As the desert wind blew across the dusty land, the targets of the firing range stood out against the barren rock and thick scrub; some were placed at quite a far distance, much longer than what a human marksman was used to, but perfect for a sniper as the dramatic topography offered a wide variety of different foxholes and nests from which to practice shooting from. And for an Autobot sniper, it made for an easy place to practice short-range shots. Perched on a couple of stacks of boulders, Velocity, Coldbore and Portia were practicing their firing skills when Bluestreak came strolling onto the range with Hailey perched on his shoulder, and Skywarp following close behind with Jay-jay sitting atop his helm and Becca and Becky sitting on both his shoulders. As the young gunner set up his weapon, the seeker and the young ones quietly sat down on the boulder behind them; Hailey positioned herself comfortably with a pair of binoculars, and after he got into position with his weapon, they got to work.

From where they stood on their perches, the three 9 members could hear the elder Waineright sister saying something to the gunner: he adjusted his aim, fired, and picked off the five hundred yard target.

She said something again: he readjusted his aim, and got a bull's-eye on the seven hundred yard target.

And again she said something into his audio; he readjusted his aim and hit the nine hundred yard target dead on.

Their curiosity now getting the better of them, the three other bots silently crept down to get a closer look, and sure enough they could hear what Hailey was saying...

"Okay, target twenty located on your two o' clock, wind speed: five knots, reference, the rock shaped like a bunny in a top hat"

"Got it" Bluestreak grinned, and fired the shoot, picking the target off easily.

"What're you doing?" Velocity asked in a mildly snooty tone

"Spotting, what else?" Hailey replied, not taking her eyes away from the targets

"Spotting?"

"Yeah, it's a human sniper thing: it's probably too complicated for you" the young gunner replied casually.

Incredulous, Velocity frowned, "And what does a 'spotter' do, exactly?"

"Spots the target of course, all the good snipers on this planet have their spotters with them cuz they can accurately judge the ambient weather and conditions, thus enabling the sniper to pull off the perfect shot" Becca stated matter-of-factly

"Hm-" the femme sniper scoffed, "So the half-shot needs help pulling off a long-range shot? How sad" she smirked

"So? You could pull off a ten click shot with _only_ your primary sniping software set to A-mode?, without having to keep your external scanners on D-mode to compensate for the lack of accurate range on your telemetry scanner?" Bluestreak gazed over his shoulder at her with a (intentionally) curious look; Velocity blinked in surprise, completely taken aback, "Because, you know? If you can't, that means you don't have anything to cover the rest of the terrain _visually_ in your peripheral vision; you'd have to rely on someone else to compensate for your blind spots" he smiled innocently.

"Hm!" she huffed, "-I can shoot just _fine_ with my software set to D-mode!" She took her weapon, aimed, and hit the one click target; when the dust settled, she looked on in satisfaction. Without battering an eyelid or optic shutter, Bluestreak and Hailey looked at the target; saw where Velocity's shot had hit, and both smiled...

"Alright; target: one click: wind speed: six to eight knots bearing down northwest: dust clouds coming up on your right" the teen said

Scanning the gunner; Coldbore saw that Bluestreak's right-side scanners were partially obscured by the butt of the gun resting on his right shoulder. Though he could see the target in his primary vision, his peripheral vision was blocked by at least thirty degrees; over a one thousand yard distance that was a big blind-spot. Hailey covered the full range of his peripheral vision by sitting on his left shoulder and pointed out what he couldn't see, as well as give him a read-out of the conditions between here and the target.

"Gotcha" Bluestreak grinned, aimed, and fired.

"...Dead on" Portia smiled as she scanned the target, "More dead on than yours!" Skywarp concurred with a broad grin.

"_More_ dead on?" Velocity exclaimed incredulously.

"Yours is off by a fifth of an inch, Blue's hit the target center-on" the spider femme replied. Outraged, the blue femme glared daggers at the gunner before storming off in a huff; Coldbore simply regarded them both with an unreadable look and slowly paced off.

"...That. Was smooth..." Portia whispered grin as she folded away her weapon and walked away; without making a peep, the two bots and humans took a moment to bask in their little victory.

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

"You wanted our assistance?" Eclipse asked Red Alert as she and her little sister approached with Blackshot in tow.

"Ah yes, we need you to check the outgoing signals on Teletran's Alpha-level and Delta-level glitch filters; we found a couple of burnt out circuits in the primary CPU hard-drive and replaced them, but we need another set of system's diagnostic scanners to check for any in consistencies in the software alignments" the security officer explained

"That should be easy enough..." Novastar smiled as she stepped up onto the terminal platform and checked over the statistics via the monitors; "Who've you got checking for the burnt circuits?" she asked.

"Deathshot and Trailbreaker are scanning the data-banks, Morri, Tom, Danny and Darren are in the maintenance ducts" he replied.

Blackshot and Eclipse both paused. "You-, have the humans in the maintenance ducts?" Blackshot asked in an unreadable tone.

"Oh I know, I wasn't too sure about it either, but it turns out their not half bad; their sensitive fingers can feel out the texture of the burnt circuits much more efficiently than ours, so it cuts down on the time we have to spend setting up and putting in a probe-scanner" he smiled

"Not to mention their color-sensitive optics can see the cracks in the micro-wires much better than ours" Trailbreaker added.

The two femmes frowned; somehow something about that didn't seem to ring true, but they didn't press the subject and let it go. Then, unexpectedly, a panel in the side of the giant cybertronian computer-bank popped open and Tom peered out.

"Ah, good your here! Do you mind checking the sub-routines on this hard-drive? I think I found the problem and I need someone to check the software correction programs, just to be sure I got the right circuit in place" he smiled

"Can't _you_ check the correction programs?" Eclipse asked Red Alert

"Actually I-", the security officer was rudely interrupted by the sound of the Chevy twins bickering as Brawn stormed in, holding them both by the backs of their necks plates and keeping them apart in both hands; "REEEEED! Get out here!" the bot bellowed loudly; "...Uh? Excuse me" he dashed out the room and back into the security hub; looking back up at the human, the two femmes regarded him with a frown.

"Fancy giving me a hand?" he asked in a polite tone.

"...We'll check the correction programs from the hub" Eclipse replied dryly as they both walked into the security hub; "But-, the terminals over here work just fine?" Novastar pointed to the two other computer terminals in the room, but her sister and the black femme paid no notice, and left with the door closing behind them.

'Okay, that didn't go quite to plan' Tom thought to himself; disappointed but not dejected, he made a mental note to try something else. But the woeful look on Novastar's face made his train of thoughts stop, and he thought to himself '...But, maybe it can wait for later...'

* * *

Elsewhere:

"You ready for this Witwicky?" Epps asked in a bold tone

"Please. If you saw my Call of Duty stats, you'd be embarrassed to ask in the first place" Sam replied confidently with two pain-ball guns in hand

"EEEE! This is gonna be fun!" Sparklestar jumped up and down in dizzy excitement.

"Quite a novel way to learn basic manoeuvres" Obsidian smiled

"Trust me, you'll love it!" Jazz called over

The main indoor training room was set as everyone got into position; on one side of the seven hundred by four hundred foot long room, Ironhide, Mirage, Chromia, Kup, Cliffjumper and Crystalwing and her creations stood in a line, while on the other side Will, Epps and about twenty of the NEST troops, plus Sam, Miles, Bumblebee, Jazz, Hound and Warpath stood ready; their usual weapons all swapped for pain-ball guns. The whole room was one huge interchangeable battle simulator; one of Wheeljack's more adventurous creations, it had been built with sliding walls that could connect to one another to form one big maze, circular ramps and sharp angled bends for bots to practice more dangerous manoeuvres via launching into the air at high speeds, and tall blocks and platforms that floated out of the floor to form more daring mid-air obstacles. In essence it was (as one of the NEST troops put it) a video game made real; surreal and yet exciting. At one end of the room the control platform towered twenty meters above the floor, with Jetfire standing at the controls.

"Alright now!" he bellowed into the microphone with his voice echoing off the walls; "-Today's exercise is all about duck and dodge! Try to duck the drones, and try to dodge the paint balls! First one across their opponent's line wins the game! Are you ready?!"

"YEEEEAAAAAH!"

As everyone cheered, the moving parts of the obstacle course began to shift, float up and steadily move from side to side, up and down, around in circles and over and under one another; it was disorientating to look at the first time round, but after enough times one began to notice patterns in the obstacles movement. As they stood at the ready, the adrenaline began to rise and the thrill of the fight filled the humans with zealousness: Sam and Miles both glanced at each other with wide wild grins spread across their faces, they knew this was going to be a good fight; new bots equals the probability of a win, for none of the newcomers had seen that pair in action, and they intended to put on quite a performance.

As the new bots stood ready, all but one was excited; Shadowstar, the eldest of the sphinx sisters stood still, calm and ready. She eyed the humans with satisfaction; this was going to be _her_ victory, her win. Through her telepathy she sensed their zealous and eager energy bubbling like lava, rising above their stillness, and setting them on the 'flight-or-fight' level she'd heard about. She intended to put them in their place, to show them how pitiful and feeble they were compared to her might, she would break them, she would shatter them, she would-

'_Behave yourself!'_

Her mother reached through to her mind and reprimanded her; much to her annoyance, her siblings glanced at them as they too sensed her negativity.

'_This is meant to be a simple manoeuvres exercise, not an excuse to fight!' _she reminded her

'_Don't worry, I won't hurt them...much...'_ Shadowstar growled back over the bond with disdain.

"-On your marks! Get set! GO!"

A loud horn sounded across the room and the humans and their Autobot teammates charged onto the course; as the first volley of paint balls were fired they were quick to get out of the bots line of fire: Shiningstar, Sparklestar, Shadowstar, Acidwing and Blackmoon made their move, their task was to try and bar the humans way, and likewise the NEST troops had to evade or get around them. Within no time at all it was a chaotic fray of flying paint, fast-moving metal and smaller dashing bodies; watching the humans move, Crystalwing really had to hand it to them, they were fast and maneuverable when they needed to be; Sam and Miles in particular were proving difficult to pin down as they made their way across the course, effortlessly dodging the paint balls and taking advantage of the moving obstacles. Reaching her mind out to theirs, she realized the key to their success: they knew this course in and out, they came here for fun, they knew what to do, and they had a plan.

'_Clever boys...'_ she thought with a smile,

After slipping past Sparklestar and Acidwing with a bit of creative parkour, and narrowly avoiding Blackmoon's whip-like tail, the boys grinned as their opponent's line was finally in sight; the only thing that stood in their way was the ten feet of open ground ahead of them: no cover, no back-up, they'd be sitting ducks out there. Pulling Miles behind a block, Sam turned to him: "Ten feet open and no cover bro, any ideas?"

Looking up and around, Miles spotted several blocks moving together: within a matter of minutes they would be in alignment right over the other side of the line, "Just one! Stay on my ass and cover me!" he replied, pointing to the blocks. Seeing what he saw and realizing what he had in mind, Sam wasted no time and fell back behind him; together they scrambled up one of the sloping curves: jumped across a line of smaller blocks that partially barred the way, dashed across one of the elevated platforms before it dropped back down into the floor, and finally made it to the blocks, sparing no energy and they slowly aligned.

But unbeknown to them, Shadowstar had been watching and made it to the blocks before they did; baring their way. It was now all or nothing, the next move would determine who won the game, and everyone watched on in exited fervor as they cheered their teammates on; Shadowstar got ready to make her move, as did the boys, who studied her in anxious tension.

"She looks quick and seriously badass" Miles panted

"Yeah, but not as badass as Ravage, and you remember how we got around him" Sam grinned

"Ah-" Miles remembered said game, and how they defeated the drone, "-Up on high-"

"-And way down low" Sam grinned, "I got up top you take the low-road; GO!"

In a matter of seconds they went for it, and time slowed as they followed their strategies through; as Shadowstar charged at them she was determined to have some small level of satisfaction from this silly game, the blocks were hovering over thirty feet above the ground, plenty of room for an 'accident', and high enough to see what human bones breaking sounds like. But she hadn't counted on the boy's unfazed boldness: they kept coming right at her, side by side and pace for pace, why weren't they afraid of her? At this speed she couldn't stop without having to jump, and there were no suitable obstacles that were close enough for her to jump onto...

As they came within range, she took a leap and stretched out to try and swat Sam away, but at the last possible second Miles overtook Sam, dropped to his knees and did a power slide across the block. At the exact same time Sam took a leap and shot over Shadowstar's head, missing the top of her helm by mere centimeters; at the moment they were both above and below her they opened fire, spraying a hail of paint balls that hit her in the face, back and underside. Once clear of her they both landed/scrambled up and made dash for the line; dazed, Shadowstar didn't know what just hit her, but when it suddenly clicked into place the boys had leapt off the last block, crossed the line in midair and landed onto one of Crystalwing's solar panels, taking the femme by surprise. The horn sounded and the game was over; the winning team cheered and the losers congratulated the boys on their strategy. Amid the hubbub of noise, Sam saw Shadowstar was still atop one of the floating blocks; glaring down at him in ire.

"Aw come on Shadow don't be such a sore loser!" Sam called up, beckoning her to come down. But the femme didn't oblige, and after leaping down to the floor she paced off towards the doors with her tail swishing back and forth in agitation and her head hung low: a threatening growl escaped her vocalizer as she glanced back at him with a sour angry scowl.

"Whoa, sore loser dude" Miles blinked in surprise; as Sam watched her storm out, his satisfaction waned into a sense of regret; maybe that was too mean of them? Or was she just sore about losing? He couldn't tell; looking up at Crystalwing, and around at her siblings, the looks of worry and concern on their faces suddenly made him feel uncertain and uneasy. With a heavy sigh, he turned back to Miles and the others, and proceeded through to the human wash-racks for a much needed shower.

Later that night in the Rec-room:

"Uuugh heck, I've been looking forward to this _all_ day" Hailey sighed in exhaustion as she pressed the ice cold drink to her lips, and savored the flavor as she swallowed.

"Mmm, ditto" Bluestreak concurred in equal tiredness as he took a long swig of his cube; "I didn't think sniping could be _this_ exhausting, we weren't even out _that _long!"

Seriously? You guys were out there hours!" Skywarp exclaimed

"Concentrating for so long tires you out; I'm surprised two held out as long as you did with those dust clouds blowing through; don't your optic's still hurt?" Ultra Magnus asked from where he sat across the table.

"Uuugh, kinda" Hailey groaned as she rubbed her still-sore eyes, looking in the reflection of Bluestreak's wing mirror she saw they were still very bloodshot, the whole of her sclera's were both red all over; despite the relief the eye-wash had given her (provided for my Ratchet) they felt raw and dry, forcing her to squint.

"You shoot da bang-bang!" Jay-jay smiled as she toddled around the table; suddenly, she saw something across the room and quickly jumped down next to Hailey and hid under the table. Hailey turned to ask her what was wrong, when she saw the object of her worry. As she poured herself a cube of energon, Blackshot turned and saw the humans sitting with Ultra Magnus, Bluestreak, Skywarp and Novastar; her disapproving look hadn't left her fair features.

"It's a _communal _rec-room, as in _everyone_ is welcome in here?" Bluestreak sarcastically called over; the black femme said nothing, took her cube and left. Jay-jay peered out from her hiding place and climbed back up on the table. "She scary" she pointed to the door.

"I know baby," Hailey stroked her head, "-I know...Oh my god! That reminds me!-" she suddenly exclaimed

"What?" Bluestreak panicked

"Swiftshot!"

"What about her?" asked Skywarp

"She's Blackshot's sister!"

"Yeah, so?"

"That means-" Hailey paused, looking over at the door to check Blackshot wasn't there, she had gone: beckoning the bots to come closer, everyone leaned in closer/shuffled closer to listen as Hailey whispered, "That means she's Jay-jay's auntie!"

"Oh my God, your right!" Becky blinked in surprise

"How's that relevant?" Ultra Magnus asked, puzzled as to where she was going with this.

"She's the nearest living 'blood' relative Jay-jay has to her creator" Bluestreak explained

"Oh...wait? How did that we miss that?" the blue, black and white mech frowned in confusion

"How did _Prime_ miss that? He _must _have known about her and Swiftshot being sisters surely?" Skywarp said offhand

"I agree, but why didn't he say anything?" Becca asked

"And does Blackshot know about Jay-jay?" Becky added, that grabbed everyone's concern, all but Novastar, and shied away sheepishly, "Actually..." she started nervously, "I-, well? That is _we_, didn't actually _tell_ her about Jay-jay being her sister's creation"

"What? Why?" Hailey stared at her in surprise

"...Well? She-, it's-...It's kinda complicated"

"Complicated how?" the twins pressed her

"Well? Mother doesn't feel she'd be suitable to cater for the demands of a sparkling, she's having a hard time as it is 'acclimatizing' to this planet, trying to look after Jay-jay might be too stressful for her to deal with?" she offered, something about the nervousness of her voice told them there was something else she was wasn't saying. But no one pressed her for answers, she was nervous enough simply being around them, being pressed further for answers could be too much for her to handle.

"Okay, but sooner or later I think she'll have to be told _something_! If Swiftshot online's tomorrow and reclaims Jay-jay what do thinks gonna happen? Not being told her sister's a creator is gonna be a little bit more than just _awkward!_" Bluestreak pointed out.

"Yeah; I may not be a mom but if day-time soaps are anything to by, the issue of child custody is _always_ a complicated and heartbreaking one" Becca concurred; "Yeah, and being Jay-jay's auntie technically she _is _the next of kin while Swiftshot's out of the picture, and an ice queen like Blackshot, I honestly _can't _see her being a guardian, and not a kind one at that!" Becky added nervously.

"But if that's the case then how-..." Hailey's train of thought stopped for a second, and turned towards something else; "...Novastar, what do you know about Blackshot?" she asked.

"...I-..." she hesitated, something was clearly making her anxious about this, but what? "Uuuh? I know a lot?"

"A lot, how?"

"I-, really don't know if I'm the right person to explain?" she replied, scared they would react the wrong way: they didn't.

"Well? Okay, who can we talk to?" Bluestreak asked

"Moonshine would probably be the best femme to go to, she knows about 'complicated' stuff..."

Complicated stuff? Something about the way said that didn't bode well.

"...Okay, listen it's getting late and I gotta rest my eyes, so we'll have a private chat with her tomorrow and we won't say anything to Blackshot just yet okay?" Hailey reached down and stroked her wrung hands, Novastar eased up a little, and allowed herself to smile a little.

"Thank you..." she whispered meekly, "I gotta go too, I'm tired" she got up from her seat and left the table.

"Oh- uh? Let me walk you to your quarters-" Skywarp got up after her, "Uh? I figured you could use the extra company" he smiled sheepishly.

"That'd be nice, thank you" she smiled, and together they left the rec-room.

"...He's been spending a lot of time with her this past week" Ultra Magnus raised a curious optic ridge,

"Since she first came here, she hangs out with us too" Becca observed

"Poor sweetie..." Hailey thought aloud as Jay-jay began to lean against her side in a sleepy stupor.

"I must confess I too have worried for her; a flyer that's too nervous to be seen flying? It must be something of a _very_ traumatic nature to make her loose _that_ level of confidence in herself never mind not being able to fight. And Eclipse's belittlement of her is unbelievable" Ultra Magnus shook his head

"Even Mudflap and Skids aren't _that_ mean to each other; but Nova? She can't even say boo to a goose let alone stand up to her, I mean I know Moonshine looks out for her but she can't be with her all the time, and she can't be around us all the time either...I worry for her..." Becca sighed

"Well, I'm glad been she's been able to make friends with you four; and I have to say I'm even more surprised Skywarp's been such an encouraging influence on her; considering the foul looks he's been getting all week"

"Yeah, we've really had to pull double-time on looking after him on that front" Becky grimaced, "Attitude only gets you so far, having the height to back it up would be just a good an advantage"

"Standing on one's helm helps" the bigger mech smirked

"Yeah, but they don't make it easy, and you can only face-strangle a jerk-bot so many time before they figure out how to catch you in mid-air..." Hailey sighed as she helped Jay-jay settle in Bluestreak's arms: he picked her up and got up to leave; bidding the mech good night, he let the girls climb up onto his shoulders and together they headed for their quarters.

* * *

In the Autobot living quarters:

A small knock on the door grabbed Crystalwing's attention; opening it, she saw no bot was there, until she looked down and saw the Witwicky boy standing rather awkwardly before her.

"Hello Sam" she greeted him

"Uh hi, I was wondering? Is Shadowstar in? ..." he asked sheepishly. Sensing the pang of guilt in the back of his mind, and the memory of what happened earlier that day, she had a pretty good idea why he was here, "Of course, come on in" she smiled. As he walked in and looked around he was quite impressed, the quarters were certainly roomy enough for the huge femme and her brood; the main room consisted of a large table with chairs in the centre, a wide desk against left wall complete with her own computer, several shelves with numerous items sitting on them, a miniature energon dispenser, and a door on the back wall that led through the her recharge birth; since her drone-creations recharged in her chest compartment, where did the others sleep?

"Oh, Twilightveil and Obsidian have their own separate quarters down the corridor" Crystalwing blurted out

"Huh?"

"Oh, forgive me, force of habit" she apologized, "Shadowstar's just in the other room, you can go on in" she pointed to the door; "Thanks" Sam replied; as he made his way across the room, Sparklestar bounced down from her perch on the desk and strolled alongside the teen.

"She's real mad you know? Been mad at you all day" she told him grimly

"Yeah, I kinda figured she was" Sam sighed

"I don't know what good it'll do? She seldom accepts any form of apology from anyone" Blackmoon added as he brushed up along his side, arching his back like a cat.

"Still, that was a pretty sweet move you and Miles pulled today" Shiningstar smiled, "I sense you've been good at that game a long time"

"Well? I'm not one to brag, but we practically _own _that course" Sam grinned

"I can sense" Crystalwing smiled as she fixed her creations their energon cubes, "You two have been good at that particular game for sometime; no wonder none of us could keep up"

"They don't call us the diesel weasels for nothing" he smiled; she pressed a button on the wall and the door slid open, as he ventured inside the others proceeded to follow, but stopped as their mother reached out to them.

'_Let him apologize to her, he feels bad about what happened and he has to get it off his mind"_ she reminded gently

'_She's the one who should apologize!' _Acidwing retorted

'_I know...'_ Crystalwing sighed

Shadowstar trotted out of the wash-rack by the recharge birth, and stopped when she saw the human standing before her. "What do you want?" she frowned in a curt tone, sensing this probably wasn't going to go down too well, Sam swallowed hard and proceeded regardless.

"I uh-, I came to say sorry for earlier; I know we kinda got caught up in the excitement of the moment and all that, but I didn't mean to embarrass or humiliate you (if that's the case?). We just-, you kinda left yourself open with that move and-, well? We took advantage of it: it wasn't personal in any way I swear..." he offered honestly.

But Shadowstar simply glared daggers at him; "_Wasn't_ personal?" she growled angrily; Sam swallowed again, 'aw hell' he thought with dread as she padded up and got right in his face, while her siblings watched on in worry. "Do you have _any_ idea how _foolish_ you made me look?! How embarrassing it was to be _shown up_ in front of the other bots like that?! I'm one of the best, most proficient drones in the Autobot army and I get bested by a pair of _meat-sacks_?!" she growled in his face.

"Okay, Shadow you really can't-"

"You stay out of this!" she snapped at Shiningstar; "Look Shadowstar I'm sorry, but it's not my fault you didn't use the right move to win the game! And I sure as hell didn't hear anyone laughing at you, no one here on the base is _that_ mean!" Sam tried to defend himself.

"That's beside the point!-" she spat, "My skills have to be at their sharpest at all times and I cannot afford be second-best to a bunch of dirt-crawling organics! When those cons eventually turn on us I have to be ready to rip their sparks out!"

"Aw for Christ's sake!-" Sam facepalmed, "-I have _told you_ like I've told everybody else a thousand times already, _they're not cons anymore!_ They're cool with us and we're tight with them; just leave it alone!" he argued

"You know, when they do betray us at least I'll know who to use for cannon fodder" she growled back

"Okay, you know what? I ain't dealing with this shit! I came here to apologize for bruising your ego and you can't go _three seconds_ without wanting to make a soap opera out of it; well? Next time you show up for a training session, be sure to put yer muzzle on first!" Sam waved her off and he paced out the room, "Good night Crystalwing" he tipped his head to her respectively and left their quarters. Looking over at her daughter, Shadowstar stood defiantly as he mother gave her a stern mother hen look.

"Why did you have to say that?!" she angrily reprimanded

"Why did _you_ let him in?!" Shadowstar retorted

"I was being polite for his sake," her mother frowned, "Throwing an apology back in someone's face is _not_ the kind of behavior I expect of my creations! I raised you better than that!"

"You raised us to be _soft!_ You don't have the brass bearings to even take a con head on! You hide behind your computer backs and up in orbit! I seem to be the only one in this so called 'family' who actually _cares_ about wiping out the cons!" Shadowstar spat, the rawness of her anger rippled down through their bond, and singed her sibling's minds like a flame being held too close, unfazed, her mother pushed it to one side; "We are _Autobots_, not bloodthirsty Terrorcons! And I certainly don't appreciate you treating your fellow bots like they weren't taking anything seriously!" she reprimanded

"Oh please! That game was supposed to be a _training exercise_? If those idiot bots _actually wanted_ to be serious about taking on the cons they'd use real weapons with real ammo and take the opportunity to weed out the weaker elements!"

"By weaker you mean humans, and by 'weed out' you mean tie them to some posts and shoot them to pieces?!" Blackmoon growled as he reached his mind into hers and saw the tense angered fragments of her thoughts, and the terrible fantasies that danced through her mind; shutting him out with a harsh shove, she closed her mind off completely to them.

Her mother looked at her in alarm, but Shadowstar simply flicked her tail and left the room, "Where're you going?" she demanded.

"Out: I don't have to stay here, and I don't have to explain myself to you!" the white and purple sphinx growled as she left their quarters. Her mother tried to reach out to her, but she mentally swatted her away "LEAVE ME ALONE!" she roared, but no sooner had she gone twenty or so feet from the door Shiningstar came galloping up.

"Wait!-"

"I said _leave me!_"

"WAIT!" the blue and white sphinx roared, Shadowstar stopped as her sister came round and blocked her way. "-What is your problem?!" she demanded angrily.

"My problem?!-" she swatted her sister hard across the face, Shiningstar flinched back but didn't retaliate; "Do you serious have to ask?!"

"I wouldn't _have to_ if you kept your end of our bond open! You weren't like this before we went into stasis, what happened?"

"You mean _you're _bond!-" Shadowstar retorted as she tried to walk off, "As far as I'm concerned you can go frag yourselves! I want nothing to do with you and that _liar!_"

"-Don't you _dare_ talk about our mother like that!-" Shiningstar swatted her sister back, though not as hard as she'd hit her; "-After what we've all been through you have no right to be throwing those accusations around! You know-"

"_I_ KNOW SHE TOOK OUR FATHER AWAY FROM US!-" Shadowstar hit her again, this time knocking her to the floor and standing over her; Shiningstar submitted and stayed down, not wanting to turn this into another fight, and simply listened as she sister ranted, "She was there! She heard him on the comm and she didn't do _anything_ to help him!"

Sensing the raw pain beneath her anger; Shiningstar let out a sad sigh and looked up her sister with pleading eyes, "...Please...why won't you let us help you?"

With an angry feral roar Shadowstar brought her claws down on Shiningstar's face and gashed her armor, making a small trickle of energon bleed out. She let her go and galloped off down the corridor. Shiningstar watched her go, sad and dejected; though her mother and siblings reached down their bond to comfort her, she still didn't feel any batter, and after picking herself up off the floor and licking her wound, she slowly padded back to her family's quarters...

Having watched the whole scene from the adjacent corridor thirty feet away, Sam let out a soft sigh as he turned to head for his quarters; somehow, he didn't have good feeling about tomorrow.

* * *

Yep, all one big happy family here! TT_TT...or not, Jerry Springer might have his hands full here 8(

And it's not gonna improve, Longrange makes his 1st full appearance in the next chapter, and he is a serious douche-bag X(

Well, let me know what you think! Until next time peeps!


	3. Chpt 2: Bully

A little warning, things kinda go down hill a little bit in this chapter :(

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 2: Bully

3 Days later:

"Man, this place really _does _look like the Nemesis" Jazz thought aloud as he tentatively walked down the corridor, glancing up at the grim angular panels and wire conduits.

"Really? ..." Miles raised an eyebrow, "What was that ship like?"

"I only boarded it a handful of times; but once is enough, a place as creepy as that, it's enough to make even Unicron quake in his orbit" the first lieutenant grimaced as he turned a corner and headed up a small flight of stairs towards his destination; checking over his shoulder to make sure nothing was behind him, or hiding in his shadow...

The whole ship creeped him out.

Despite being a camouflaged ship, the Black Solstus was hardly the Autobots idea of a mobile base and home; on the outside one would've mistaken her for Megatron's flag ship, and on the inside she wasn't much different. The whole design, interiors and basic systems infrastructure had been built to Decepticon specs, but the technology was primarily Autobot by design, with a few re-engineered Decepticon hardware and software features thrown in. But she didn't only look the part of an enemy ship: she had the same sinister aura that was typical of any battle-class Decepticon vessel, _especially_ the Nemesis. Everywhere you went on the ship the corridors and rooms were dimly lit (so as to conserve energy) save for the blue, red and purple glow of the computer terminals, console panels, fiber-optic wiring and energon lines: the walls, floors and ceilings were grim shades of charcoal and gun-metal grey, and the sharp pointed, almost blade-like paneling, platforms, support pillars and bulkheads reminded the bots of the infamous scrap-heaps of Kaon's gladiatorial pits, where the dead were piled up and fed to the more beast-like cons, or simply left to rust. And because of the dim interior shadows would fall and move in odd ways when you walked about, giving the impression that something was hiding in there, or following you...

Finally, the silver Pontiac and his charge reached the uppermost level of the engineering deck; a nine story room divided into three levels with interconnecting platforms and a levitating circular lift that went up and down in a giant transparent pipe-like tube. Normally the room looked much larger and tidier, but today, as part of the ship's remodeling all the wires, cables and energon lines that usually ran along the ceiling, platforms and walls had been removed and gutted, ready to be repaired or replaced, so now half the floors and platforms were covered in huge lengths of metal, wire and transparent piping, all jumbled up and tangled like spaghetti, some had even been hung over and across the length and width of the room's space, making it resemble some tree-top canopy that was thick with vines and creepers. The whole place was a mess, and the bots presently assigned to sorting it out couldn't get more than a few feet at a time without having to stop and untangle themselves; the humans however, thanks in part to their lighter bodies and more nimble forms, traversed the 'metal spaghetti' with relative ease: with seamless skin and no armour to snag on, they slipped in and out of the wires and cables with little fuss, much to the bots envy. Grinning with delight at the sight of the place, Miles jumped off Jazz's shoulder, and took to the hanging wires like a gibbon swinging through the tree-tops.

"You're in the systems-core today!" Jazz called after him, and the teen dropped out of sight onto the floor, disappearing into the mess; carefully stepping over and trying not to snag himself on the hanging cables, Jazz eventually found Deathshot and Bumblebee working on a huge circuit breaker panel in part of the engine's cooling systems.

"Primus! Who's bright idea was it to let the Lambo and Chevy twins take out all this?!" Jazz huffed as he swatted some cables away from his face.

"You can thank Inferno for that lapse in judgement, they sweet-talked him with high-grade" Bumblebee replied

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" he deadpanned in a dry tone

"Majestrix is already taking care of it, and don't worry she hasn't killed them yet; she's gotta find their hiding place first" Deathshot smirked; Jazz couldn't help but chuckle, "Which one? Ever since she came here they've now got more than one"

"Don't know for sure, but I caught them trying to hide in one of Scorpy's burrows the other day" Bumblebee grinned

"Wha-, Seriously?!"

"Oh yeah, he chased them all the way across the dunes, and over the 'pin-ball' maze" the yellow scout giggled

"Please tell me you got a picture"

"I didn't, but Darren did on his cell, and now the betting pool in the rec-room stands at two to one on her having them reformatted into blenders and toasters"

"Yeah, that's sounds about right..." Jazz grinned, looking around, he noticed something was missing, "...Say, where did the kids get to?"

"Oh, they're with Portia" Deathshot replied

In the next three rooms along, adjacent to the engineering deck was the ships systems-core; the heart of all the ship's computer systems. This room was one huge domed circular intersection with multiple corridors and passage ways leading out, and was filled with every type of cybertronian hardware imaginable. The mess of wires and cables wasn't as bad in here, and as they went about their work, Sam, Morri, Tom, Ashley Portia and Ravage were joined by Miles as he popped out from an empty length of old energon piping.

"Wha-, where the hell did you come from?" Morri blinked in surprise

"Engineering deck: I heard him chatting with Jazz in the corridor, as well as smell the bacon he had for breakfast" Ashley grinned,

"So what's going on in here?" Miles grinned as he flopped down in between Sam and Ashley,

"Circuitry replacement: and from the looks of that rust we're gonna be here a while-" Sam pointed to an open panel in the side of one of the enormous hard-drives, inside were dozens of circuit boards of varying shapes and dimensions, half covered with a greyish-reddish crust of rust.

"Sheesh!-" Miles grimaced as he picked up a screwdriver, pair of tweezers and a can of Ratchet's moisture-proofing formula, "-More like all day!"

"Yeah yeah, quit yer wining and get to work Lancaster" Ashley smirked as he playfully swatted the blond teen over the back of his head; he dodged it, and got to work helping Sam. "...So?" Miles changed the subject, "Dare I ask, but how did the 'thing' with Blackshot go the other day?" he asked cautiously

"How'd you think?" Ashley regarded him with a sarcastic look

"...That bad huh?" he winced, sort of regretting he asked,

"It's been three days and we're _still_ doormats! I _swear _I think they know we're up to something" Sam sighed dryly

"Maybe not _actually_ know, but rather they sense you're trying to show a united front. And they're not ready to be outdone just yet" Portia thought aloud from where she was hanging upside-down on the ceiling; her long sharp legs keeping her anchored as her abdomen bobbed up and down, spinning yards and yards synthetic silk to hold various loose wires and cables in place as she sorted the still-useable ones from the old worn ones.

"Well it's not been completely for naught? Bluestreak's managed to put Velocity in her place, kinda: and Coldbore's not been showing up to the rec-room as often" Tom offered sheepishly

"Velocity might not be giving Blue as much lip but she's _still _a class-A bitch-" Ashley frowned, "She's bloody lucky I don't beat up girls"

"I'd be careful..." Portia lightly smirked, "Longrange may be a fool when it comes to underestimating smaller beings; but Velocity is sly, she knows how the male mind in general works, and is never one to not take full advantage of it. Though in your case it's a different story, she knows you're not into females and 'that kinda thing' just yet, so you qualify more as an irritation as appose to a subject of her whims"

"Yeah? Well as long I can get under _her_ armor and irritate _her_ then we're even!" Ashley huffed

"I wouldn't be so sure? She doesn't like it when she gets played at her own game. None of them do..." Portia sighed, her voice turning soft with a slight hint of disappointment. Having pulled out all the useless wires and cables, she crawled along the ceiling and down the wall onto the floor next to the kids; she transformed her abdomen back into her legs and sat down next to one of the access terminals. Turning the device on, her clawed fingers flew across the keyboards as she typed away. Curious, Morri asked offhand, "...You've known them a long time; were they always like this?"

"Since before they first came aboard the ship..." Portia replied, not taking her optics off the screen, but turned her head to one side as she listened to them. "Part of my job was to assess their psychological profiles, to make sure they were fit for duty and didn't pose any danger to the rest of the division"

The humans and drone stilled, and looked at her with quizzical, puzzled looks.

"...I know," she replied in a dry droll tone, having a good idea what they're replies would've been, "But back then the war was much worse and more intense, and we couldn't afford to pass up Autobots whose skills were of an exceptionally high calibre. We made do with what we had, and for the most part it was relatively 'stable'"

"Stable?" Morri echoed, not quite believing the latter, "As in you didn't end up killing each other..." she stated.

"Heh!-" Portia stopped herself from bursting into a fit of laughter, "-That's an understatement if ever I heard one!" she glanced down at her with a light-hearted grin; though the femme took it in her stride, Morri mentally reprimanded herself for sounding so unsympathetic.

"So how _did _you guys put up with each other all this time? And why are you, Majestrix, Moonshine, Novastar, Deathshot and Crystalwing and her kids the only ones that weren't arseholes in the first place?" Ashley asked

"...That's not an easy one to answer" Portia sighed, pausing in her work, and turned round to look down at him; "... War affects the mind in deep and terrible ways, and we each have our own means of shielding the worse of our mental injuries from all the darkness around us; more often than not, those that have been through a form of severe trauma will either be 'damaged' with reoccurring mental scars. Or, try to hurt others as a means of trying to satisfy or pacify their own mental turmoil"

"In short, their just bullies picking on other kids cuz it makes them feel better..." Ashley stated in an unreadable tone, "...I can relate..." he sighed with a hint of regret.

"But what was different for them? Prime and his mates have seen loads of their friends die throughout the war but they never took their mental scars out on us when they first came here" Tom pointed out

"Because even before the war Prime and many of his lieutenants, commanders, generals, officers and soldiers were already well versed in the art of combat and the inevitable losses that come with it, they've dealt with grief more times than anyone can count, and have been through the same notions time and time again. But with the 9, each loss has been very personal on a certain level"

"_Every_ loss in the war was personal on some level; how does that make them special compared to everyone else?" Ravage asked sceptically.

"He's got a point; you don't go through life and _not_ experience death in one form or another? And yeah when it happens to one of your friends or family of course your gonna take it personal" Miles reasoned

"That's true, and yes they are no different to the many thousands of millions who lost someone dear to them. But like so many bots they carried bitter grudges because of it, and over time they let their need for revenge get the better of them, to the point that the only thing that existed beyond them, were other beings; and in a way I think it stemmed from the knowing that they had no one to care for, or _be_ cared for and loved" Portia explained

"So why didn't they try to take care of each other?" Morri asked, the spider femme leaned back in her chair with a tired wistful look in her yellow optics.

"...That. Is a question I've been asking myself ever since I joined them..." she sighed, "Fundamentally we're all flawed in our own ways, that is the principle condition of the existence of all sentient beings; but some are, sadly more flawed than most-" she straightened up, ", Longrange lost his creators when he was quite young; Coldbore, his spark-mate and sisters: Deathshot his family, Velocity? I don't who she lost but I suspect it must have been someone of great personal importance to her. Crystalwing lost her spark-mate and Majestrix her spark-mate too"

At the mention of Crystalwing, the events of what he witnessed three nights ago suddenly made sense, and Shadowstar's 'anger issue' suddenly felt like it was legitimate, _'So that's why she was so mean?' _Sam thought in realization.

"Did you try to help?" Ashley asked

"My door was always open: and though Crystalwing and Majestrix were always there for me when I needed someone to talk to; no one ever confided in me about their issues. Although, being a double-agent doesn't do much for the credibility of your character, and being a 'shrink' at the same time makes you all the more daunting if not questionable"

"You got bullied too?" Ashley blinked in surprise

"More often than not: but that's the price you pay for posing as one of the enemy, people are always going to question where your true loyalties really lie; it's no different for Obsidian, he was a spy too when he wasn't around on the ship and he got his share of flack from Longrange, Eclipse and Coldbore. But you don't have to worry for me on that front, it's been of no trouble for me for years" she smiled wistfully.

"How?" Sam asked

"Hm..." the spider femme hummed in contemplation, "Believe it or not, that level of pettiness and arrogance grows boring, and after a while it flakes off like old rust. Personally I've never really cared for what they think of me; being called a freak's nothing new, and I know myself well enough to know where my morals stand, so the issue of 'turning to the other side' is no longer valid or moot..." she leaned down closer to the humans, "...But I also have to confess: there are times when-, on the rarest occasions and in the briefest moments, I catch a glimpse of the cracks in their mental shields, and see the true mech's and femmes beneath. And then I'm reminded of the reasons _why_ I became a 'psychiatric therapist' in the first place"

Everyone sat in contemplation for a moment before Morri spoke in a soft but serious voice; "...I've no doubt they've got more than their share of personal demons, everyone on some level does; you don't become a bully for no reason: but while I _am_ truly sorry for their plights, it doesn't excuse their behaviour. It's getting ridiculous and carelessly stupid"

"I know! It's bad enough me and Tom have had to keep our heads down cuz of those wake-up pranks, but being treated like proverbial organic-trash is seriously lame!" Miles replied

"No, I mean this whole thing is getting to the point lives might be put at risk" Morri corrected

Everyone stilled and looked at her in confusion

"...What'd you mean?" Ashley asked in concern, Morri put her tools down and glanced at them with a serious look,

"...This last week has been a repeating cycle of failure to acknowledge the rules and to follow through on learning respect and tolerance (if there was any to begin with at all for _those _bots); aside from the paint ball duck-and-dodge game, the last _five_ training sessions alone had to be amended or postponed because those bots refuse to work with the NEST troops. The whole reason for NEST being set up was so the bots and us humans could work _together_; if and when the cons eventually come back how can we be expected to work efficiently as a single unit when some of the bots can't even _look_ _us_ in the eye?" she argued

"A good point, but you said it yourself: only _some_ of the bots refuse to work with NEST, the rest of the other bots on this base don't have a problem with us. Or at the very least have enough tolerance to put their pettiness aside during a life or death situation" Ashley pointed out

"But when that life or death situation comes and we're all out there _together_, how can we expect to trust them with our lives if they can't even acknowledge us in the first place? If something happens, all it takes is for one troop to fall, and the whole fight is lost" she argued; everyone but Portia blinked in astonishment.

"She has a sound point" Ravage flicked an ear in concern, "If we can't trust them and them us, it'll be a serious problem if the cons find out: and they won't hesitate to take full advantage of it"

"Exactly" Morri added

"That is a very good point" Portia sighed, "I'll have to talk to Majestrix about this, she's _needs _to know-"

"-Needs to know about what?" a loud brazen voice called out from around the other side of the open door, making everyone jump. Stepping into the room, the three imposing forms of Longrange, Velocity and Coldbore stood tall and intimidating with their arms folded. In an instant the humans sprung to their feet, tense and ready to move; they _weren't_ in the mood for Longrange's obnoxious sense of 'humor' today.

"What do you _want _Longrange?" Portia deadpanned with an irritated frown.

"I 'might' have overheard you idiots chatting, and when I heard my name mentioned I just _had_ to come and 'inquire' as to what I've, apparently, done wrong this time?" Longrange smirked in a sweet but patronizing tone, deliberately taking the piss.

"Didn't anyone tell you it's _rude_ to eves-drop?"Morri stated in a dry tone. Suddenly realizing in horror they had been listening right outside the door, both Miles and Tom swallowed hard as they began to get tight knots coil around their stomachs while beads of sweat began to appear on their foreheads...

"Hey, I've lived on this ship most of my life, there's _nothing_ I don't know about in this place, _meat-sack_" the young sniper retorted childishly.

"And gossiping about others behind their backs? Really now Portia that's not like you at all-" Velocity smiled in an even sweeter patronizing voice, "But then, being around cons for most of your 'career', it kinda makes sense that you'd eventually miss their company..." she glanced down at Ravage, who glanced up at her with an arched back and snarling teeth; neither he nor Portia said anything: they weren't going to give her the satisfaction of giving into their anger.

"Your one to talk-" Sam sarcastically smirked, "You can't get enough of seeing everyone ticked off; but, seeing as you've not really got anything better to do around here? I guess that just goes to show the level of sadness in your social life"

Velocity frowned

"Just keep walking: we're busy in here" Portia curtly said,

"What? So busy we can't have a little 'chat' with the meat-sacks?" Longrange smirked as he reached for one of the consoles; before she could stop him, Longrange trapped Portia and Ravage on one side of the room with the protective force-field (the one intended to protect the central computer mainframe in case the ship was boarded by Decepticons), while the humans were trapped with the three flyers on the other. In one rapid movement Longrange ducked down and scooped Tom and Miles up in his fists, while Coldbore grabbed a now-pissed off Ashley, and Morri and Sam were both left on the floor. The young sniper's grin broadened as he eyed up the two humans, squeezing them tightly. While Portia tried to disengage the force-field on one of the other consoles, Ravage clawed fiercely at the semi-transparent energy-structure and cursing all manner of profanities.

"Did you _seriously_ think I wouldn't find you little fraggers?" he grinned patronizingly, "Everyone's been gossiping about those pranks, and if they _really _cared about you they wouldn't have mentioned you by name"

"Oh bite me!" Tom growled as he tried to gasp for air; "Seriously dude, you're a Class-A douche-bag! It ain't cool, nobody's impressed, and you needed to be taught a lesson!" Miles hissed

"Oh really? Well now I'm putting _you two_ in your place!-" Longrange frowned, "If there's two things I _really _don't like: it's when people think I'm easy, and when they say _I'm_ the one who needs to buck up & get an attitude adjustment! This whole base is one big pathetic joke! Its bad enough we lost the war because of you little parasites, but having to live here? With _you _as our masters?, I don't think so"

Now seriously pissed –off, Morri stepped forward with a wrench in hand and growled: "You put him down or so help I'll climb up there and-", but before she could even reach the sniper's foot, Longrange kicked her hard, sending her flying across the room and hitting the force field. She dropped like a stone, still conscious but unable to stand for being dazed by the impact.

"Morri!-" Sam rushed to her side

"THAT'S IT!-" Ashley tried to wriggle free, but Coldbore held on tight, "-I'm gonna _go ta town_ on yer arse!"

"Oh quit your whining it's not like I killed her..." Longrange drolled

"If _any_ of her bones are broken I will _personally _break your wings!" Ravage growled

"Ooh I'm really scared" Longrange grinned down at the drone, "You do that and I'll shoot your head off, con"

"Primus Longrange!-" Portia angrily hissed, her legs transformed back into her abdomen as she banged at the force field, "-It'll be the brig for you when Prime finds out!"

"Oh I don't think so, being the best sniper in the Autobot army, he _wouldn't dare_ dismiss me from active duty!"

"HA! You _think_?-" Miles burst out in a fit of laughter, "-Dude, he's Optimus friggin Prime! He'll kick the shit outta you when he hears about this!"

"You've got some balls to think _anyone _on this base would be okay with this!" Morri growled as she got back up on her feet, keeping one arm around the side where she was kicked; it hurt, but she couldn't be sure if it was a broken rib or not.

"And you wouldn't _dare_ kill us," Tom growled as the sniper tightened his grip, "Everyone on this base will drag you behind one of the hangers and-GHA!" he cried out as he felt his ribs begin to cave in, one more squeeze and one could easily snap and puncture his lung for sure.

"You know what? I've let you live long enough; and for ruining my paint job I think I'll return the favor: why don't we see what your protoform looks like without that skin of yours?" Longrange smirked as one of his fingers transformed into a saw-like blade and brought it up to Tom's neck.

"NNOOO!" Ashley roared

"DON'T YOU DARE-

CRACK!

"GHAAA!"

Suddenly, Tom was free, flying through the air as if catapulted before landing in a familiar giant hand; struggling to sit up-right, he saw Deathshot right above him, his arm outstretched with one of his wrist cannons smoking, and the _scariest_, _most enraged_ look in his one optic he'd ever seen. At the exact same moment Miles was dropped to the floor, landing safely on a huge pile of wires and cables...

The whole room was silent, as if time itself was being held at knife-point; within a spit second everything moved so fast that everyone was left standing there waiting for their brains and processors to catch up: all they saw was a flash of midnight blue, the flash at the end of a gun muzzle, and Longrange's wrist exploding in a burst of energon, metal and sparks. Looking down, Morri saw a hand, Longrange's hand, sitting off to one side on the floor sparking and leaking energon, and the young sniper gripping his blown-off wrist joint in pain as Miles was helped up by Sam and dragged out of the way.

"FRAG!-" YOU SHOT MY HAND OFF!-" he exclaimed in a furious rage, but Deathshot paid no attention as he strode into the room; gently picked up Morri, Miles and Sam and placed them in the crook of his arm next to Tom; turning his attention to Coldbore, Deathshot noticed the black sniper hadn't even blinked let alone even flinched when he fired his weapon; this didn't surprise him, and as the two snipers glanced at each other, Coldbore put up no resistance and handed Ashley over without a fuss. The bio-cyber sphinx tried to take a flying leap at Longrange but his guardian scuffed him tightly around the back of the neck, making sure he couldn't move his limbs and tail so freely and he dangled him in one hand. "Not fair!-" he hissed, "Just give me _two minutes_ alone with him!-", but glancing up, the look in his guardian's optic made him think better of it, and his temper instantly turned to submission, allowing the sniper to place him alongside his cousins as he turned to leave the room.

"Where're you going?!" Longrange snapped, pacing after the sniper and firing up the wrist cannon on his other hand, he aimed it at the back of his helm, "-NO WAY IN PIT AM I LETTING YOU WALK AWAY FROM M-"

But in one fast move, Deathshot ducked as the shot was fired, twisted round and aimed his gun straight at the younger sniper, he was barely ten feet away and had the muzzle right in his face; the two stared each other down as Coldbore looked on unmoved while Velocity stood there watching in astonishment, as did Portia and Ravage.

A smug grin grew across Longrange's faceplates as he broke the tense silence: "...Are you gonna do it this time? _Actually_ do it? Or are you just gonna put another hole in my tail fin again? ..." he baited him, Deathshot didn't even blink as Longrange continued; "...You know I was shocked; of the mech's to stick up for these meat-sacks, I _really _didn't think you'd go so soft: you are _such _a fraggin' disappointment. Not that I looked up to you in the first place mind you, but I might have regarded you as someone who _at least_ had a possessor in his head. Guess I was wrong? ...". Again, Deathshot didn't rely, the humans watched on nervously as the young sniper pushed his luck even further,"...You know this isn't going to come to anything right? The meat-sacks aren't dead, the security cameras in this section of the ship are down, so there's no evidence to say this little thing happened, and can just be written off a little 'spat' that got too heated. That old mech Prime: there's no way in the pit he'd _dare_ do anything to me! I'm way too valuable to be thrown in the brig and you know it; those cons you allowed to 'defect'? They'll show their true colors soon enough, and when they do you'll be _begging_ me to forgive you..."

"Is that a fact? ..." Majestrix purred as she emerged from the shadows, "I highly doubt that" she deadpanned in a dry tone as she came up alongside both snipers.

"...You can stand down now Deathshot" she said softly, gently placing a clawed hand on his shoulder, he didn't move; "D, Please!" Morri hissed anxiously, sensing the fear in her voice, his scowl relaxed into unreadable look, and he stood up and disengaged his weapon.

"*teh*, turbo-chicken..." Longrange scoffed; at that, without even moving his body to swing, Deathshot punched the young sniper square on the nose plates; he fell flat on his back, clutching his face as energon bled out, "WHAT THE-"

But Majestrix beat him to it, and aimed her arm-mounted fusion cannon right in his face; "You _really_ are a glutton for punishment?" she quizzed, her tone laced with annoyance, "Even when you're beaten you _still_ have to have the last word...", she disengaged her weapon and backed away a step as he got back up on his feet, "The security cameras may be down but I saw enough; You can expect to be called to Prime's office once you get your hand fixed", she tossed him the severed limb and turned to walk away, "Oh, and Longrange?" she glanced back over her shoulder at him, "This is your second 'strike': one more, and it's the brig for you, regardless of whether any cons attack or not" and with that she disappeared back into the shadows of the corridor. Deathshot decided he'd had enough too, and left the scene. Feeling right royally pissed off, Longrange took his hand and stormed off towards the ship's med-bay.

"Well that was interesting" Velocity thought aloud, but Coldbore didn't reply.

* * *

Later that afternoon:

"You two were damn lucky he didn't do worse!" Mikaela reprimanded Miles, "You knew he didn't have a sense of humour, but you _still_ had to push your luck!"

"...I know..." he sighed in a passive voice; he didn't want to argue with her.

Sensing he'd been punished enough, Mikaela let her frustration go, and sighed in disappointment, "...Look, You and Tom were both lucky that Prime let you off with a warning; but what were you _thinking _when you pulled those pranks?"

Meeting her gaze with a glum yet honest look, Miles told her, "...Because he tried to humiliate you in front of everyone...". Suddenly remembering the incident in question, Mikaela heaved a heavy sigh as she rubbed her forehead; "-It's bad enough that asshole's been having the run of the base, but bad-mouthing my bro and bro-sis in front of the guys is just not on; I just wanted to remind him we don't put up with that kinda bullshit is all" he tried to explain, "Seriously, I didn't think he'd go off the rails like that!" he sighed in regret.

"No, you didn't think..." Mikaela thought aloud, "But regardless you didn't have to do that for me and Sam; there are other ways-"

"Like what?" Mile frowned, he was about to argue further when the med-bay doors slid open and Skywarp stepped in with Hailey, Becca, Becky and Jay-jay. "Hey guys!" Hailey waved; Miles dropped the subject and lightened up, "Yo! What up?" he waved back.

"We're here for Jay-jay's check up? Two thirty right?" Hailey asked as the seeker deposited her and her sisters on the floor while holding Jay-jay in one arm, "Yeah, But Ratchet's out 'till later: just put her on the birth and I won't be a minute" Mikaela replied as she headed into the storage room to grab the necessary tools.

"So? I heard about what happened on the ship..." Skywarp regarded Miles as he placed the sparkling on the birth, "You okay?"

"I'll live-" Miles waved off, "It just sucks that he's been let off with another caution, _again_!"

"I don't get why Prime doesn't just throw him in the brig?! The douche-bag's been getting away with this bullshit all week and now he threatens to kill me and Tome and he _still_ gets away with it?! Seriously, what's going on?"

"I was wondering about that too," Skywarp frowned as he tried to keep Jay-jay from climbing down off the birth, "I overheard Prime talking to Ironhide the other day: something about Longrange still being young and still having much room to grow and mature?"

"Yeah right!" the twins exclaimed in incredulous disbelief.

"That guy is _way _too wrapped up in his own bullshit to care about anyone or anything else! Granted those pranks weren't the wisest choice, but that doesn't mean he can try to _commit murder_ and get away with it!" Miles huffed in equal disdain.

"Ah, but he's _not _gonna get away with it this time-" the seeker grinned as he tickled Jay-jay's belly, "I overheard Jetfire talking to Brawn in the rec-room, and apparently Prime's ordered Longrange to start attending mandatory training sessions with the other bots and NEST troops, and if he so much as glances at them the wrong way, it's straight to the brig for him"

"Well that's a relief, of sorts I guess? ..." Hailey said offhand, the look of anxiousness on her face didn't escape the others notice.

Having a good idea what was vexing her, Skywarp asked in concern, "You're still worried about Blackshot?"

"It's been three days and she _still_ doesn't know yet"

"What? That Jay-jay's her niece?" Miles asked, Hailey stared at him in alarm, "-Hey chill its okay! I overheard it from Ultra Magnus when he told Prime about it, only Sam, Mikaela and Morri know about it too, I didn't tell anyone else" he was quick to try and calm her down; knowing Sam, Mikaela and Morri weren't ones to gossip, she allowed herself to relax a little. "...Okay..." she sighed, "But you _should've told me you knew! _It's bad enough I've been having to watch my back while still trying to ask Moonshine about it, panicking over how Blackshot will react has been a stress I could do without!" she reprimanded him.

"You still haven't spoken to her yet?" Becky blinked in surprise

"I've been trying to get a hold of her for the last three days, but she's been so busy setting up that new workshop of hers that she's barely has time for anyone" Hailey replied in worry.

"What about asking Crystalwing? Or Majestrix? Or even Deathshot? They've worked along Blackshot too?" Skywarp suggested, realizing he was right, Hailey facepalmed, "Gha! Why didn't _I _think of that?!" she sighed in exasperation.

"Don't worry about it," Mikaela smiled as she patted her on the shoulder, before proceeding to climb up onto the birth, "I'm sure they'd be happy to oblige if you ask them?" she reasoned

"So why didn't ask _me_?" a cold feminine voice curtly asked, everyone jumped out of their skin/armor as they suddenly saw Blackshot standing in the corner behind them. "Holy hell!-, when did you sneak in?!" Miles exclaimed in shock as he tried to stead his nerves.

"I came here to check on my sister's conditions, when I overheard your little conversation..." she scowled at them, her arms folded as she paced closer to them, "...You know? It's disconcerting enough to find that my sister is now a creator? But to find out that an organic and _Decepticon _have been made her guardians? That. Is unacceptable" she said in a threatening tone.

"Y-you knew?!" Hailey gasped,

"Of course I knew There are far too many loose vocalizers on this base, and Velocity's careless small-talk certainly provided some useful insights; like how you were too scared of me to even come and ask" the black femme glared down at the humans accusingly.

"Well? In all honestly you _are _a very scary femme! We didn't know if-"

Skywarp instantly fell silent when Blackshot fired up her wrist-gun and aimed straight at the seeker's spark. The human's faces fell in horrified astonishment while Jay-jay looked on in confusion, not understanding what was going on. "Did _I ask_ for your opinion cretin?" she regarded him with a calm yet cross look; the seeker nervously shook his head and didn't utter a peep.

"...Tell me" she turned her attention down to the not nervous humans, "What made Prime think you qualified to be guardian to my sister's sparkling? Or _any_ sparkling for that matter?" she demanded.

"B-because I've-, _we've_ looked after her since she first onlined-" Hailey replied, taking a deep breath and steadying her nerves as best she could, "And the circumstances didn't give us much choice anyway; her mom-, _your sister_ was KIA at the time and we had the Spark Eater to worry about, so we volunteered to watch over her. When we got back to the base, we'd kinda grown on her, and likewise, and Skywarp too, and Prime felt it would be best if she stays with us rather than put her through the trauma of having to be paired off with another guardian" she explained., "And anyway, it's only temporary until Swiftshot wakes up" Becca added.

Incredulous, Blackshot frowned, "You seriously expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth!" Miles retorted, "Ask Prime, he'll tell you! And so will anyone else for that matter"

"Then why didn't he ask _me_ to be guardian?"

"I don't know! You'll have to ask him that!" Hailey retorted. Blackshot regarded the human for moment before reaching for the birth with her one free hand, and picked Jay-jay up; the little femme protested at being held by the strange femme as she kept her tucked under her arm, and strode to the door with her weapon still pointed at Skywarp.

"-Where're you going?!" Hailey panicked as she watched Jay-jay begin to throw a tantrum. Skywarp wanted to take her back too but didn't dare move, Blackshot was scary enough just being close by, with a weapon drawn who knows what she would do?

"To clear up this oversight up with Prime" she curtly replied as she disengaged her weapon and headed out of the med-bay; 'speak of the slagger' she thought as she spied the mech in question coming down the corridor, Skywarp and the humans chased after her and were about to protest when they too spotted the boss-bot.

"_Prime!_" Blackshot snapped, Optimus looked up from his data-pad and stopped as she came up to him.

"Blackshot? What are you doing with-"

"Is it true you put this Decepticon in charge of my sister's creation?" the femme angrily demanded, gesturing to Skywarp.

"It is Hailey who is Jay-jay's guardian, Skywarp is her co-guardian" he nodded, his usual calm and collected demeanor not once wavering in the face of her agitation. She blinked, not quite believing he said that so casually; but as she watched from the floor, Hailey suddenly had a bad feeling about where this was going.

"Why?" she demanded sternly, all the while Jay-jay was getting more and more upset, thrashing and wiggling about in the crook of the femme's arm.

"So that if Swiftshot remains in stasis longer than anticipated, Jay-jay will have someone to show her how to cope with frame up-grades, as well as teach her how to transform and fly, if it ever comes to that" he explained

"And you didn't think I should have a say in the matter? Swiftshot is my sister! Her creation should be in my care!" Blackshot retorted back

"I read your profile Blackshot, and I do not believe you are best suited to being a guardian; if you were so concerned for your 'niece's' welfare, why did you not contest my decision sooner?" Prime asked: Blackshot stilled, he had good point there.

"Because I wanted to see if you cared enough to ask me" she argued: Hailey and the girls stared at her quizzically, somehow that didn't sound to be true, but they didn't say anything as the femme continued: "I may not be a the ideal modal for a guardian, but my sister's welfare _and_ that of her sparkling are my top priorities! My family comes first! And I will not allow my sister's creation to be in the hands of a Decepticon!"

"Hey! I defected!" Skywarp cut in before Hailey asked, "What's her name?"

"What?" Blackshot turned to glance down at her

"If your family's so important to you, what's your niece's name?"

"What's that got to do with anything? Sparklings do not have designations during their first cycle" the femme retorted back, Prime frowned slightly.

"Well _she_ does!" the twins pointed to Jay-jay, "and FYI, she not only chose her _own_ name, she chose Skywarp to be her co-guardian too" Hailey frowned, "If you want to be more involved with her, I won't hold you back, but I have a serious responsibility to take care of Jay-jay while her mom's not around, and you'll have to behave on _our_ terms if you want to prove yourself a good guardian to us!"

Blackshot simply stared at the human in a mix outrage and disbelief; what right did this lowly creature have to tell _her _she couldn't be guardian to her sister's offspring? And what possessed Optimus Prime to think such an audacious mismatched pair-up was acceptable in the first place? Clearly something was very wrong here, and she didn't trust either of them. Venting a sharp huff of air through her vents, Blackshot walked away with the now-crying Jay-jay under one arm.

"Where are you going?" Prime asked in a commanding tone.

"Back to my quarters, I'll keep the creation there where I know she'll be safe-"

"Her name is _Jay-jay!_" Skywarp and the twins both exclaimed, but Blackshot paid no attention as she set her cold optics on the seeker and elder sister, "And furthermore, as a superior officer I hereby relieve you two of your duties of guardianship, and forbid you to come within close range of the creation"

"WHAT?!"

"Prime! Say thing!"

"You do not have the authority to make that dismissal:" Prime stated, "The authorization for the guardianship was made under both I and Majestrix's directive, and only _we_ will deem whether Hailey and Skywarp are unfit for the task"

Blackshot stared at him a moment, before stating coldly, "We will discuss this later, for now, my sister's creation stay's within my care"

"Why?"

"Because _clearly_ you have a glitch in your processor: allowing a Decepticon and an organic to be guardians? How many other bots on this base have you _openly informed _of this decision?"

Silence

"...I didn't think so..." she stated in an unreadable tone and walked off

"This isn't over Blackshot" Prime frowned

"It is, and you no longer have a say in the matter" she frowned as she headed off back to her quarters; Jay-jay looked over her shoulder with tear-filled optics, reaching down to the Waineright sisters "...Heywee..." she sobbed;

Hailey's eyes suddenly swelled with tears as her charge's heartbreaking plea hit home; her anxiety suddenly replaced with an overwhelming need to protect, she was about to chase after the femme when Prime bent down and stopped her.

"We _will _sort this out, I promise" he stated softly

"Then stick it to her and take Jay-jay back!" she demanded

"Prime, you can't let her do this! Jay-jay won't last five minutes with her!" Skywarp panicked

"I doubt she will deliberately bring harm to Jay-jay ..." Prime frowned, "But even so, I do not believe she will be able to handle the commitment of being a guardian in the long run"

"Then what do we do?"

"For now don't go far, I will sort this out before the day's end; but right now I have another pressing matter to attend to" he got up and walked off, "-I will be back as soon as I can!" he called over to them as he disappeared around the corner, the humans and one seeker were left standing there, worried and wondering why?

'This ain't gonna be good' Miles thought offhand.

* * *

A few minutes later: outside, near the cliff-edge of the gorge, the base's main eastern entrance opened up, and as Prime stepped out three loud growls alerted him to Cerberus. True to his Greek mythological namesake, Cerberus had found a niche on the base by guarding the bases main entrances, today he was stalking around the eastern entrance, and padded closer to sniff the Prime as he stood still, regarding the three heads with a passive look that said he was no threat; finally, smelling their mistress's scent on him, they left him alone and stalked off behind some of the nearby rock formations.

Walking along the dusty road, gazing up at the endless blue sky, Prime soon saw the reason that brought him out here, and stood still as Deathshot descended down, transformed and landed before him.

"I trust you are in a more approachable mood now?" Prime asked in a serious tone; after what happened earlier that day, Deathshot knew he had no right to lose his temper with Prime (in the respect at least), he knew what he did wasn't acceptable, and after having a few hours flying time to cool off, his mind was now in a more reasoned frame of thinking. "...Yes sir..." he replied quietly

"I have to say Deathshot..." Prime's tone softened, "Of all the Autobots under my command, I did not figure you for being one prone to losing their temper in such a brutal fashion"

"I know, and I'm sorry to you..." Deathshot replied

"To me? ..." Optimus raised an optic ridge, "If you expect me to apologize to Longrange forget it, I am not about to let that little thug have _any _form of gratification!" Deathshot glared at the Prime fiercely, sensing his rawness, and knowing full well he had no grounds to defend the young sniper for such a deliberate and callous act, Prime sighed and turned to look out over the gorge.

"...I know..." he sighed, "And I'm not forcing you to"

Sensing the tiredness in his voice, Deathshot eased up his annoyance and passed a sigh too; "...I _get_ that he's young. Primus when I first met him, I couldn't _believe_ a bot so young could have such talent as a sniper..." Deathshot thought aloud before he frowned, "But he's damn good, and he slagging well knows it, and _has_ to make sure everyone else knows it too; giving me a hard time is nothing, I've had to put up with him for eons: giving the other bots a hard time is pushing his luck, but disregarding my kids or any other humans to the point he'd kill them? ..." he turned to meet Primes gaze with a deathly stare, "He's lucky it was his hand and not his T-cog, I'm sorry Prime but my patience for him is just about spent; and if he _ever_ comes within range of _any_ the humans, I _will not_ hesitate to do worse!" he vented sharply.

"...Sounds like someone else I knew once, a very long time ago, after the battle of Pyrex-Dannos 3 to be precise..." Optimus regarded the sniper with a wise look; knowing full well who he was talking about, Deathshot conceded, "...That was a _lifetime _ago, and with all due respects I was a _very_ different mech back then"

"Yes, you were different: you were arrogant, selfish, bigoted, and so consumed by your need for revenge that you disregarded your fellow Autobots, even to the point that when they called for help, you _very_ nearly ignored them. And now? You are a guardian, a good friend to all, and one of the most selfless, humble and caring Autobots I have ever known..." Prime stated softly, Deathshot couldn't help but let a tiny smile cross his lips for a fleeting second, he had a good idea what point Prime was trying to make, but his modesty told him to let him hear it anyway; if anything to remind himself of the line he cannot cross as an Autobot, and as a mech.

"We are all capable of great evil or great good Deathshot: even the worst can surprise us in great ways, and equally the best of us can turn out to be our worst enemies. For all his crass selfishness and prejudice, I have to believe Longrange will eventually see the error in his ways, that one day he will finally realize the harm he inflicts on others and seek to atone for it. Just as you, are still atoning for your wrong-doings" he pointed out.

"...I know..." Deathshot sighed in frustration, "But _how _is he supposed to learn that unless you teach him? You can't sit around and just expect him to suddenly see the light, if it were that easy the war would've been over eons ago! And don't tell me you can't force someone to learn something when they don't want to; humans do it to their offspring throughout the better part of their childhood and the vast majority of them turn out just fine"

"Hm?"

"School?"

"Oh, of course..." Prime realized, before getting back to the subject at hand, "Look, I'm not saying I'm expecting him to learn on his own, he _needs_ a guiding hand whether he wants it or not. But trying to make him listen to reason is: I have to say, proving quite difficult"

"I could've told you that on day one" the sniper deadpanned in a dry tone, "and I doubt the mandatory training sessions will do much deflate his ego"

"Then it's a good thing I put Ironhide and Jetfire in charge" Prime allowed a small smirk to tug at the corner of his lip plates; knowing Longrange had taken some cheap shots at the seeker and weapons expert earlier in the week, and knowing both the old mech's had been itching to teach him a lesson, the sniper allowed a little sense of satisfaction to flit through his mind, before his thoughts turned to the remainder of his vex. "...Even if he's worked to the frame until his engines are raw, I'm still not comfortable with him being allowed the run of the base" he replied

"I know, and for now I'm sorry I can't do more" Prime sighed

Deathshot glanced at him with unreadable look, "...You _can_ do more and you know it"

"I could..." Prime met his gaze with a severe look, knowing what he implied by that, "But if I did, that would be a violation of the prime directive _and _my ethics as Prime; I am _not_ going to lower the bar and set a bad example for the rest of the troops: for the actions of one mech who's impetuous arrogance got the better of him. That's not how we do things, no matter how tempting the want for revenge may be" he said in a stern commanding tone, Deathshot knew he was right: _why did he always have to be right about these things?_

With a sharp huff of air through his vents, the sniper rubbed his forehead in weary tiredness as he tried to push his anger and frustration out, he knew Prime made a good point and there was no room to dispute his judgement; but with a mech like Longrange in the equation, he didn't make it easy. "...It's not a question of revenge; it's about teaching him a lesson, and learning that you don't get an easy ride for being a bully" he sighed.

"There's a fine line between teaching a lesson and getting your own back Deathshot. I've no doubt you'll learn from this experience, but be aware, all actions have consequences, and Longrange will forget what you did today" Prime warned

"You're right," Deathshot nodded, "But if that runt wanted to kill me he would've wised up eons ago; he may be a good sniper but he's no tactician, and suffice to say, has yet to learn that there's more to life than being a sniper...and speaking of wise up, what is my punishment?..."

Prime studied him a long moment before stating: "...One night in the brig with two days suspension from duty..."

Deathshot looked at him slightly surprised: "...Thank you sir..."

"Do not thank me: my judgement on this is moot, but only because the circumstances put me in a bind..." Prime replied in a slight hint of guilt, "Whether or not this can be resolved in the near future, and I severely doubt it will; things are going to come to ahead if Longrange and the others don't learn to cooperate"

"This may sound invalid, but I _really_ hope it doesn't come to that"

"Time and hope are all we have; and speaking of which, please excuse me but I have something else to attend to-" Prime nodded discreetly before transforming into his semi-truck form "Be sure to report to Ironhide, he's on guard duty in the brig tonight!" he called back, and took off for the bridge that spanned across the gorge, heading towards the road that hugged down the side of the western cliff-face, down into the open-air hanger. As he watched the truck disappear beneath the Black Solstus, Deathshot's attention was drawn to the scrub sounding the air-strip hangers as he spotted Ashley and Ravage pacing along...

* * *

"_It's shit!_ He could've at least given me _a minute_ to smash up that pretty face of his!" the bio-cyber sphinx vented angrily, "I would've _at least_ liked to have gouged an optic out!"

"You and me both," Ravage growled in equal frustration.

"I mean, seriously; was he _trying _to get himself killed? D's been threatening him for over a week on what would happen if he overstepped the mark, so why the hell-"

"-Because he's an immature self-obsessed bigoted little slagger who wouldn't know discipline if it came up and smashed him in the face plates-" Ravage vented, "-Oh wait! That was D!" Ashley smirked; both of them laughed as they came across a large sloping boulder and sat down in the shade to rest. "Eh, I just hope Prime hands his aft to him" Ashley sighed, "and I hope Morri and Tom are okay"

"Oh come now boy, _those two?_ Seriously? Since when has something like being kicked and squeezed fazed them? They _have_ been through much worse remember?" Ravage pointed out

"...True..." Ashley sighed as he watched his tail flit back and forth, "I just worry is all; being way stronger I can take it, but anything worse than a-" he stopped himself, "Point is, I'm just pissed I couldn't get outta Coldbore's grip"

"It could've been worse but it wasn't, you guardian came and stopped it. So don't dwell on what might have been: it's not worth the aggravation" the panther reasoned.

"Yeah I guess, But I-" he stopped as the sound of soft padding paws approached, "...Who's there?" he called out.

"Aww! You ruined the surprise!" Sparklestar whined as she trit-trotted around the boulder, followed by Shiningstar, "I was gonna try an' pounce you!"

"I told you he had good audios" Shiningstar smirked; as she hopped up on the boulder and sat down.

"Hey shine" Ashley casually waved with his tail, "And what brings you to our company young ones?" Ravage purred casually as he flopped on his side, deliberately pretending he didn't care.

"We came to see if you wanted to play! After what happened I figured you needing cheering up!" Sparklestar squeaked happily as she pounced on his back, Ashley rolled over to one side as she tried to wrestle him like a playful kitten, keeping her attention on his tail as he waved it about in front of her face.

"You-, heard about that?" Ashley raised an eyebrow.

"Uh? Everyone on the base has pretty much heard about it..." Shiningstar replied sheepishly, "Did-, Deathshot really shoot Longrange's hand off?"

"Yes he did" Ashley huffed, "And he was bloody well asking for it"

"Well it's about time!" Acidwing concurred as he swooped down and landed on top of the boulder, "That idiot's been spoiling for trouble every since we got outta stasis; but then, he's _always _been spoiling for trouble. I'm just upset it wasn't me that got to whip his aft!" he vented as he folded up his wings and crawled down the boulder towards his sister.

"Well I woulda whipped him! Like this!" Sparklestar grinned as she pounced on Ashley's head and tried to pin him down; smirking, Ashley twist his body round and was up on his feet in a second, grabbing the young sphinx, he wrestled her off and pinned her under him, "-Hey no fair!" she protested, taking a swipe at him with her paw.

"I don't fight fair" Ashley smirked, "Neither do I!" Shiningstar grinned as she tackled the hybrid from above, and together the three sphinxes tussled and bounced about playfully, trying to wrestle each to the ground and trying to swat each other in a boxing-like manner. Though Ashley had adapted well to moving about on all fours, he was still awkward in some regards, and as the drones noticed, he moved and fought much better standing on his hind legs; in many regards, he was still human by design, and it showed.

"So tell me, what's it like?" Shiningstar smiled as she tried to pounce on Ashley, "What's what like?" he replied happily, trying to stay out of her way.

"Walking on two legs?"

That caught Ashley off guard, and Sparklestar took the opportunity to tackle him, but being so much bigger than her he didn't go over, and gently pushed her off; "... What's it like?" he pondered aloud. In truth it was one of those kinds of things you didn't think about, or _have_ to think about, you just did it; like how fish swim or birds fly, it was just...normal for humans. And in a moment, Ashley's thought's flitted back to the time before he became a hybrid, and he wondered if being so different from his fellow humans in appearance, was really a good thing?

"...I don't know..." he blurted out with a shrug, "I just-, did it"

"It's just-" Shiningstar asked sheepishly, ", I don't know who made you that suit or _how_ they even designed it to interface with organic systems the way it does; but, from what I can sense, you've adapted pretty good to it"

"Yeah! Pretty soon you won't be a human at all: you'll be a drone in no time!" Sparklestar peeped in

"Cheers, it certainly feels like it" Ashley grinned unconcerned as he got up and stretched his forequarters out like a cat, and arched his back as he stood up.

"No I'm serious, over this last week, I sensed you've been changing; your mind feels a lot like a drone's than a human's; which is weird, considering technically your still human on the inside, literally..." she replied offhand

Ashley looked at her puzzled, curious, he asked, "...In what way _exactly_ have I changed?" Sensing the concern beginning to bubble at the front of his mind, Ravage sat up as he watched the sphinxes.

"Well? ..." Shiningstar tried to think, "...it's kinda hard to explain really, I mean, your still human in terms of your thought and mannerism patterns; but since we first met, you've kinda been more 'like us'"

"...How so?" Ashley raised a quizzical eyebrow

"You dream in code" Shiningstar replied

"Code?"

"Cybertronian _and _human binary code? You've been dreaming it a lot of late, and your processor feels more like a cybertronians than a human's when you recharge" she explained

"That's nothing new," Ashley waved off, "Darren dreams in code practically every other night, most of the other kids dream it once in a blue moon, and I had a dream the other night that I walked into the security hub and saw all the screens full of it. It's one of those subconscious things that comes from being around the guys all the time. We all got used to it"

"I suppose? But _you_ dream in code every night" Shiningstar replied

"...I do?"

"Oh yeah! Sometimes you dream so much of it, even _we_ can sense it in our recharge!" Sparklestar peeped in

"...Huh...", _'guess I'll ask Ratchet about that later...'_ he thought to himself.

"Or you could ask Twilightveil! She's might know something? She's gotten real good at reading human dreams!" the pink and white sphinx suggested

"Hey!-" Shiningstar swatted her over the back of the head, "What did mom tell you about reading other people's thoughts?" she lightly scolded

"To not to-" she huffed, "But I can't help it! I can hear thoughts all the time, even the organic ones!" she protested, "I know mom said I'll grow out of it, but when's _that_ gonna happen?"

"In your own good time..." Ravage purred as he approached the youngster and lightly licked the top of her head, eliciting a purr from her, "In the meantime, it's a good opportunity to learn discretion and self-control of one's vocalizers; careless talk of one's thoughts can have serious consequences: don't ever take it lightly"

"You're not bad" she smiled, "I know all the other bots say your still and Decepticon, but we know you're not"

"Being a telepath puts you in a whole other league above your fellow cybertronians child" the panther explained, "One that doesn't go by external looks, conditional trust, educated guesses or even fractions; it's a dynamic existence: and one you'll come to know in time"

"I highly doubt that..." a cold growl grabbed everyone's attention as Shadowstar padded out from behind a stack of boulders, "If the whelp cannot even be bothered to try keeping her mind to herself, what use will she be?" she stated as she paced over to Ashley and circled around him, eying him disapproving; Ashley stood still, although she was the same size as him, she looked to be more formidable, "-And you-" she got right up in his face: "An organic within a techno-organic shell? Who's bright idea was _that?_" she growled sarcastically,

"Aw come on Shadow don't start again!" Acidwing sighed in exasperation

"Actually, we haven't been properly in introduced yet..." Ashley smirked in a slightly sarcastic tone, "...I heard talk about you, but I didn't imagine you'd be so..."

"Formidable?" she shot him a look

"-Touchy" Ashley corrected, "All talk and no walk doesn't earn you brownie points around 'ere luv; and actually? I've 'ad me fill of raw egos for one day, so if you'll excuse me-" Ashley turned to walk away, but Shadowstar blocked his way.

"Who said I was looking to score points? I want to see what makes you think you can trot around with your tail up pretending to be one of us?" she growled,

Blinking in surprise, Ashley figured she obviously had the wrong idea, and passed a casual sigh, "Sweetheart, I don't pretend to be _anyone _but myself; go get yer head screwed on straight" and tried to walk off, but again she blocked his way.

"Come on Shadow don't do this" Shiningstar complained

"Please sissy, don't-", "-I _told you_ not to call me that!" Shadowstar snapped at Sparklestar; intimidated, the little sphinx backed away with her tail between her legs and a hurt look in her optics.

Ashley frowned, "Hey, she's your little sister, you don't talk like that-"

"She is _NOT_ my sister!-" Shadowstar growled viciously, suddenly going from menacing and brooding to full on enraged; taken aback at the sudden change in aggression, Ashley backed up a step while her siblings looked on in a mix of surprise and hurt, "-And if you _ever_ get the gall to speak to me like that again I'll-"

"-You'll what?" Ravage growled as he pushed himself between the two sphinxes, at twice her size and more well built, Ravage was an imposing force for the purple and white femme, but she didn't seem to care as she arched her back and snarled, "You'll do _what?_" he threatened her.

"Please Shadow don't!" Acidwing pleaded

"It's not worth it, please!" Shiningstar tried to approach. "You stay out of this!" her sister hissed, turning her attention back to the panther; "Allowing that _freak_ to exist is insulting enough, but _openly allowing_ Decepticons onto the base? Prime is a fool and a useless old mech!" she seethed angrily.

"It's called defection" Ravage facetiously replied, "Freedom _is _the right of all sentient beings after all; but? That's not what _you_ have in mind is it?"

With an enraged snarl Shadowstar tried to swipe the panther, but he twisted out of the way and stopped at Ashley's side: "Run!" he hissed, and together they took off like a couple of cheetah's; Shadowstar was about to go after them but couldn't be bothered, not with this mid-afternoon heat, and so watched in angry disappointment as they sped away. After putting about two hundred yards between themselves and her, the two friends stopped; looking back, Ashley heard Shiningstar say something to Shadowstar, at which the elder sister growled something back before taking off back into the maze of boulders, leaving an upset Sparklestar to be comforted by her siblings. Turning to follow Ravage as he took off down the western cliff-side road, her sobbing mews made him feel sorry for them as they disappeared out of sight.

"What the hell's _her_ problem?" he thought aloud in utter disbelief

"Don't go near her again" Ravage warned in a serious tone.

"You don't have to tell me twice"

"I mean it!" the panther swung his head round to glare at him, "-she's volatile, _don't_ provoke her"

"...Okay," Ashley raised a quizzical eyebrow, "But really, you can't tell what's wrong with her?"

"Let's just say, she's got some serious issues..." Ravage growled.

* * *

Sometime later:

"*sigh* Where the hell is he? He said he'd be back!" Hailey said to herself as she paced back and forth in front of the med-bay doors.

"Maybe he's talking to her right now and he just didn't come back this way?" Becca reasoned

"No he would've called us or something first" she fretted

"Well he must be busy doing something else right now? He said he's get it sorted today" Mikaela assured her

"Hey!-" Skywarp greeted the girls as he came pacing up, "Any luck?" Mikaela asked

"I can't find her anywhere! I checked her quarters but the doors locked, I checked the rec-room, the security hub, the central command, and even the engineering labs, no-one's seen her all afternoon!" he shrugged in exasperation

"-And Jay-jay?" Hailey pressed

"She must still be with Blackshot? She wouldn't leave her by herself surly?"

"I guess?" the twin sisters reasoned

"Oh sweetie-sparks!-" Moonshine chimed happily as she came swaggering down the corridor with Twilightveil close behind, "A little blue-bot told me you'd been trying to get a hold of me, so here I am darlings!" she smiled in a sing-song way as she bent down and scooped them up into her clawed hands; "Aww why such sad faces?" she pouted, noticing their worried looks, "Oh I know just the thing to cheer you up! Come with me!-" she smiled, and before the girls could say anything she and Twilightveil took off at quite a pace, wrapping her tail around his arm, the dragon femme dragged Skywarp along too as they sped down the corridor; so light and nimble that it almost looked like they were floating on air as they dashed through the base, and up onto the next level where the engineering labs were situated.

"I must say: I'm _so_ sorry for taking so long, but I've been so busy putting my new workshop together that I've hardly had time for anything else of late!" she huffed in a flutter, "It's really not like me at all, but, I'm here now and I'm all yours!" she smiled as she opened the doors

Hailey sighed with relief, "That's great because we need-" but her words were cut short as they stepped into Moonshine's workshop.

"Oh. Em. Gee..." the twins gasped

Wondering what caught their attention, Skywarp stepped in: "What's so-...Oh Primus..." he gasped as he looked to around.

"I take it you like?" Moonshine puffed her chest out with pride.

"'Like' is an understatement..." Hailey smiled, "This is place amazing!"

The workshop was nothing like Wheeljack's, or Que's, or even Perceptor's; instead of a cluttered mess of a hanger that was overstocked and overflowing with too much stuff and stank of oil, energon and all other kinds of nausea-inducing chemicals. Instead, it was a fashionista's dream garage and tech shop; towering up three floors which were connected together by one huge (beautifully sculptured) spiral staircase, the room was pristine white with brushed metal walls, a domed ceiling with glassy panels, and a floor so well polished it looked like a mirror. In the center of the room sat one huge round table, cluttered with data-pads, a small bot-sized laptop and other bits and pieces, while all along the walls were many various and curious things. Giant bot-sized cupboards with transparent doors displayed everything, from paint of every color imaginable, metal sheets of every known alloy, thickness and density, and tools of every known design and use; between the cupboards were shelves with various items sitting on top; various machines of strange and complex design, and on one side of the room sitting in a row were a set of five: what could only be described as large bot-sized dental chairs, the large bases and mechanisms in the chairs seating parts indicated they were designed to fold out flat like a birth, but the amount of machinery and gadgets around them told of a very different usage. Mikaela noticed they looked very similar to the surgical births in the med-bay: perhaps these were used for something of a similar nature? But she didn't pay much attention as her eyes feasted on every detail in the room. Beautiful chandeliers illuminated the room in a bright daylight-equivalent glow; complete and incomplete sets of armor stood on their modal-frames like dresses and suits on tailor's dummies, and on one other side of the room a giant ideas board filled with pictures, knick-knacks and other delightful aesthetically pleasing treasures stood towering some forty feet high by thirty feet across. It was, quite simply, a beautiful blend of technology and fashion, and one that could hardly fail to impress even the most unmoving of philistines.

"Drink or energon anyone?" Moonshine asked as she placed the humans on the table

"Uh, I'm good thanks" Hailey replied she scanned her eyes all over the place

"Um? Maybe just one?" Skywarp replied tentatively, suddenly feeling like he was out of his comfort zone in this place.

"Oh goodie! You can be the judge of my new oil daiquiri!" Moonshine smiled with delight as she wandered over to her energon bar.

"Oil daiquiri?!" the humans exclaimed in disbelief as their faces fell at the sight of the bar. It was small compared to the one in the rec-room with only four stools on one side, but it was styled like an elegant art deco cocktail bar; decked in rich jet black and luscious cream white with gold linings and rims, it had a huge energon dispenser with a dozen different grades all contained within cocktail-shaker shaped tanks: various oils, liquid fuels and energon blends were all stacked on the glass-like shelves nearby in neatly arranged optic-dispensers, and instead of energon cubes there were martini glasses, rock glasses (single and double), brandy glasses, shot glasses, hurricane glasses, sherry glasses, wine glasses, and even goblets and champagne flutes, all in neat little rows above the dispenser, while off to one side of the bar was a bot-sized cocktail making set, which Moonshine proceeded to use...

"You-, make your own _cocktails?_" Mikaela stared at the bar in a mix of wonder and bemusement.

"Oh yes! I've always had my own personal blend of energon but you humans take your liquid fuel to a whole new level! I mean cocktails? What a marvelously delightful idea! And so _chic _to look at! Their like little hood-ornaments in their own right!" she praised as she mixed the energon.

"Uh yeah..." Mikaela nodded dumbly, not quite sure how to respond.

"Well I _adore_ beautiful things! And I _love _collecting them even more, hence my new idea's board, another delightful and very practical human means to 'see' your thoughts! Genius darling!" she chimed, the humans nodded with awkward smiles.

'_Jesus! She's like that lady at mom's favorite perfume store!'_ Becca thought in disbelief

'_Jesus! She's like that lady at that perfume store mom gets her channel number five from!' _Becky thought in amazement, Twilightveil couldn't help but smile in amusement at the likeness of the twins thoughts; non-telepaths, and yet their minds were practically in sync as one; _'so fascinating'_ she thought.

"But enough about me-" Moonshine changed the subject as she came back over with two martini glasses in hand: handing one to Skywarp, who simply stared at the strange pinkish-red energon, she sat down at her table and took a dainty sip before addressing the girls; "Now, Bluestreak wasn't too specific when he said you needed help, care to share darlings?" she smiled.

"Well-," Hailey tried to think as the subject in question came back to mind, "It's kinda gone beyond what I was originally gonna ask you"

"Whatever it is, I'm sure we can help!" the purple dragon femme waved off playfully as she took another sip of her drink

"Blackshot took Jay-jay and basically told us to piss off" Becca blurted out,

Moonshine nearly chocked; "WHAT!" she exclaimed in alarm,

"-She's known about her sister and Jay-jay for a while: she only told us today cuz she thought Prime would tell her to begin with and make her guardian on the spot, but he said no and she got slagged off because of it" Skywarp explained

"Originally we were gonna ask what she's like. Being Jay-jay's aunt we figured she needed to know one way or another, but we pretty much saw for ourselves why Prime didn't let her have Jay-jay in the first place" Becky added

"And now she's got Jay-jay; Prime said he'd sort it out but we haven't seen him since earlier and we can't find Blackshot anywhere" Hailey added.

The two femmes exchanged worried glances; Moonshine sighed wistfully, her bright and bubbly up-beat attitude suddenly deflated and replaced with a look of worry, "...Oh: I was worried this would happen" she said offhand.

"Wha-, you knew too?!" Hailey exclaimed

"Well of course I knew, mother confided in me about it; and I must say, for such an 'unconventional' pair of guardians you two have really made it work" Moonshine offered.

Skywarp stared at her confounded, "So? The fact I'm a former Decepticon doesn't bother you? At all?" he raised a skeptical optic ridge.

"Oh good Primus no!-" she waved off dismissively, "If you had any less-than honest intentions knocking about in that helm of yours Twilight here would've sensed them right off the wing, and she _is _good at detecting that sort of thing..." she gestured to Twilightveil. "No, it's Blackshot I'm concerned about; as if losing the war was a hard enough oil to swallow, she's not taken to our new living accommodations at all well"

"We know..." Mikaela deadpanned in a dry tone,

Sensing the hardship of the past week echo through her mind, Twilightveil said, "There's no excuse for her attitude, and her prejudice towards you and the other humans is indeed unacceptable; but you have to understand she's been in a position of power for a very long time, she carried out Majestrix's order's when she was in hiding: and getting used to the idea of having to take her orders from Prime is, well?"

"Difficult?" the twins answered for her, the femme nodded in reply, "Yeah like _that's_ an excuse"

"Look, I don't care if she's having a full-blown mid-life crisis; all I care about is if Jay-jay's okay" Hailey stated.

"Well," Moonshine got up from the table, "I suppose we can swing by her quarters to see if little Jay-jay's alright, and if not we can leave a note?" she suggested

"But she told us to get lost, if we show up again-"

"You'll have us to straighten things out, Blackshot may not tolerate most but she _wouldn't dare_ talk back to me, she knows I'm too much for _her_ to handle!" the femme smirked as she picked the girls up again, rapped her tail around the seekers arm, and took off out of the workshop like a bat out of hell, the girls tried to maintain a grip on her claws as the air rushed past them, "How the hell do you move so fast?!" Mikaela gasped, "It comes with the altmode!" Moonshine grinned: "Here we are!" she gestured to the Autobot residential quarters, and slowed down as they came to Blackshot's door. Letting the seeker regain his balance, Moonshine used her tail to knock on the door. No reply.

"Twilight?" she asked, for a moment Twilightveil's optics glowed intensely as she activated her telepathy, scanning the room on the other side of the door.

"Blackshot's not in, but Jay-jay is" she replied, her voice laced with worry

"What kinda state is she in?" Hailey asked worryingly

"She's-, not happy; she's not happy at all"

"Can we open the door?" Mikaela asked,

Moonshine raised her hand to the door's access panel and several small cables snaked out from her wrists and slithered under the panel's buttons and monitor, in a few seconds the lock turned and she slid the door open. Stepping inside and looking around, nothing seemed to be out of place; when suddenly, a whimper drew everyone's attention to the back room; "In there-" Moonshine pointed to the door, and placed the girls on the floor as she proceeded to open it.

As soon as the door opened, the femmes, seeker and humans were met with an alarming sight; there on the floor sat Jay-jay, her optics streaming with energon tears, her wings folded, and a mark on her face that looked like a dent. Overwhelmed with horror, alarm and panic, Hailey rushed to her charge and softly held her head in her hands.

"Oh my baby-girl, have you been in here all day?" she cooed softly, to which Jay-jay instantly reached out to hug her,

"What?!" Moonshine gasped in dismay, "How could she-"

"No wanna stay wiv Blackshoo..." the little femme sobbed, "Blackshoo mean, Blackshoo spank..."

"-What?" Hailey gasped; upon closer inspection of the dent on her cheek-plate, she and the others all noticed it was shaped like a set of clawed fingers.

A sudden pang of guilt and outrage shot through her system and coiled around her stomach in a tight knot: "Did-, she _hit_ you sweetie? ..." Hailey asked softly, her own eyes beginning to well up with tears; Jay-jay nodded, and leaned in for a cuddle. Without a word, Skywarp picked them both up and gently held them in his arms.

"I gotta treat that, the sooner the better" Mikaela stated, the seeker obliged and let her climb into his arms next to the sparklings side. She cooed to Jay-jay, telling her she'll be okay, and knowing the human medic was kind and gentle she let her see to her injury without much fuss.

"Skywarp, call Ratchet, tell him we're coming right over, and tell him to get the emergency kit prepped" Hailey stated, pushing through the overwhelming urge to cry: she knew she had to stay strong. "Sure" he sighed as he turned to leave the quarters; once out in the corridor, Moonshine transformed into her dragon altmode and padded off down the corridor, her footsteps heavy and menacing as her tail swished from side to side.

"Where're you going?" Mikaela called after her

"To find Blackshot! I'm going to give her a piece of my mind!" she growled as she stormed off; "Hang on! We're coming too!" the twins both called out as they chased after her; she obliged and with one soft swipe of her paw, scooped them off the floor and lightly tossed them onto her back, "We'll catch up to you later!" they both called back before Moonshine took off.

"I'll go and tell Prime and Majestrix" Twilightveil said as she took off too

"...She's got a lotta explaining to do..." Hailey thought aloud in an unreadable tone

"I know, but save it for later, right now Jay-jay needs you guys" Mikaela replied as she tended to the dent.

"I know..." Hailey sighed in exasperation; right now all she wanted to do was to throttle Blackshot; family or not, _this_ was totally unacceptable and there were no excuses for it. But she forced herself to hold it back for later, there _would_ be a later, she'd make sure of it; for now Jay-jay needed her, and she wasn't going anywhere., "...I know..." she frowned bitterly.

* * *

Later that night:

Somewhere out in the desert, amid the maze of boulders and rock formations, far away from the base and well out of scanner, audio or optic range; four mysterious cybertronians gathered, their optics were the only lights visible in the moonless black of the night, and their footsteps were soft and quiet, barely any louder than the wind that blew across the dry land.

"We were barely able to come away..." a deep electronic basso voice spoke, a mech's voice: "What's so important we couldn't talk via the encrypted frequency?"

"The plan" a femme replied, the other three stilled

"...I thought we agreed we would wait until we were in a better position to follow it through?" another femme spoke, this one sounded younger than the other.

"Besides, the war is over; it changes everything" another mech spoke

"This changes _nothing_" the first femme spoke in a threatening tone, "The war is _not over_, not until _I _say it is. We still have to find a way to save our kind and the plan is all we have now: we no longer have the luxury of plausible deniability"

The other three exchanged uncertain glances, before the older mech spoke up, "...This won't be easy"

"I know" the older femme replied, "Which is why now would be a good time to start laying the foundations"

"How do we do that?" the younger femme asked

"This planet is rich in resources, there's _always_ a way and we have plenty of options. Plus, the humans could probably be put to some use somewhere down the line, as slaves or as cannon fodder? Either way; waste-not-want-not"

"What about the others? How will we convince them this will be for the best?"

"We'll worry about that when we get to it; some of them are beyond convincing, and there will be 'regrettable' losses as a result...I'm sorry but, that's the way it must be"

"No you're not" the younger mech smirked as a wicked glint lit up in his optics, "Your just our for energon". The femme glared at him, instantly shutting him up.

"Okay, so if the plan's back on, what's our first move?"

The other three listened as the older femme explained; their whispers carried on the wind, and disappeared into the night.

* * *

So, pretty much; not really a friendly bunch of bots (or intelligent ones either) :(

I had bullying problems when I was in high-school; I was both bullied and a bully, so I've seen/experienced it from both sides. And believe me, it took a lot of effort not to turn this chapter into an excuse to vent past grudges and unresolved issues. At the time I drafted this story it brought up a lot of old wounds, and I kinda vented too much? So typing this several weeks on after much rethinking and with a clearer head has been a good thing (at least, I hope I did it justice!). I have to confess, this is only the 2nd chapter and the story's turning out quite differently to how I drafted it; its a kinda like a Pokemon, it starts out as one thing but when I actually start typing, it evolves into a whole other creature. Which is great in a way, cuz I can play around and see what needs to be thrown in or out to balance it into a readable story.

Generally: there are serious issues flying around between these bots, and not all of them will be resolved in this story unfortunately (just warning you); I might have pushed the envelope with Blackshot and Jay-jay, and that will be addressed in the next chapter, but that was to set the tone for Blackshot's character, she's not a nice femme, period, and yeah she's got a serious chip on her shoulder, but I've got plans for her in some later stories so she'll be probably up to no good. I'm still not wholly confident about Longrange? but I didn't want to give too much away; he gets into trouble later and I want to save some of that attitude of his for then; Shadowstar's temper gets to the better of her too, and it blows up in spectacular fashion later in the story.

As for Moonshine? if you had trouble trying to pin her, think: Diamond Rarity (yes, my little pony: friendship is magic Diamond Rarity, just work with here) but with a little more flamboyant eccentricity 83 and yes, she does like making energon cocktails, she wouldn't be caught dead sipping from a cube.

This chapter's a big one (55 pages in total), but for the story's sake I wanted all these particular scenes/developments in one place; the way the plot is set up, changing them about would upset the whole story, and I'm a sucker for perfection & attention to detail, but hopefully the next one won't be so long :)

&, without wanting to spoil the next chapter too much: we take a look at Eclipse and Majestrix next: 'nuff said, stick around if you want find out ;)

Please let me know what you think! Cheer's dearies!


	4. Chpt 3: Complicated

Augh! This chapter was a pain in the ass to put together, not least because I'm still getting over a cold and even now I'm still not 100% satisfied with it; please forgive me, as the various conversations were hard to piece together into one (not so) smooth-flowing context. I could really use a review on this one guys, as I'm not sure if it's okay or not? please read on and let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 3: Complicated

The next day, 4:15am:

The last of the stars disappeared behind a veil of deep blue as daylight crept over the horizon and the moon slowly fell behind the distant mountains; there was no wind, not even a breeze to shift the last of the cold night air. All around the desert was starting to come to life as the first of the diurnal wildlife ventured out from their burrows and hidey-holes to get a head start on foraging and hunting before the worst of the day's heat would force them back underground again. As he watched a pack coyotes pass by, Ravage silently crept along a gully until he came to an open area of flat scrub; hunching down as low as he could, he slipped through and in between the bushes and cacti in a snake-like fashion, sleek and smooth, without disturbing anything.

Upon coming to another gully; he was about to proceed when something caught his attention: pricking his ears forward, he could hear a mech was nearby, one with very soft footsteps; looking all around, he soon pin pointed the footsteps to a nearby ridge that overlooked the gully and scrub. There, coming to stand at the top, was Coldbore: for a long moment the two locked optics and stared at each other in an uneasy silence; with the counter-telepathy training at the forefront of the sniper's mind, Ravage couldn't intercept what he was thinking, and as he remained motionless, a bad feeling began to well up in his spark. Suddenly, and without warning, the mech unfurled his sniper rifle and aimed it straight down at the drone; quick as a cheetah Ravage dashed behind a stack of boulders with a threatening hiss. Coldbore then took a step forward, and was about to fire up his engines; when suddenly, another individual drew his attention.

"Hey!-" John hissed to the drone as he came jogging up from the gully he'd just traversed: peering around the rock, Ravage saw the sniper was gone. Had he taken off and engaged his stealth mode? No, that couldn't be possible; he would've smelt the discharge from his engines, and with the topography against him he'd have to come right around the stack of boulders to get a clear shot, he'd hear his engines easily. Tense but calm, he kept his concern hidden as the human approached, "-Ashley's about thirty minutes behind me, do you want me to keep going all the way to the fence?" he asked as he stopped to catch his breath, noticing his tense stance and pricked ears, John straightened up and frowned in concern, "...Hey, are you okay?"

Looking back up at the ridge, Ravage surmised Coldbore must have ducked down and crept back the way he came. Was he really going to take the shot? Considering he was a former Decepticon that shouldn't have been surprising; and as much as he would've liked to hold a grudge over it, something told him to leave it...for now at least. "...I'm fine..." he replied, "It's nothing...Carry onto the fence and make sure to go through the 'River pass' while you're at it"

"You _are_ aware there's a rattlesnake that lives in those rocks right?" John asked offhand

"When you've got metal for flesh a snake bite's the least of your concerns; this is an exercise in following a scent trail: obstacles are a natural occurrence, and he needs to learn to get around them. Now get going before he catches up" Ravage ordered

"Fine, see you at the fence" John replied before he took off, disappearing among the rocks and scrub. Looking back at the ridge, Ravage frowned (as best a drone with one optic could frown) as he made a mental note to keep his head down today; not that he was intimidated, if anything he more the opposite and wanting to knock helms, with yesterday's fiasco still fresh in his mind he's wasn't going to leave anything to chance. _'Just you try me...'_ he growled mentally, and took off into the scrub, disappearing from sight.

Some distance away, peering out from her hiding place among the rocks, Shadowstar frowned as she watched the drone take off, and silently slipped away back into the shadows.

* * *

The rec-room: 7:45am:

"Hey, did you hear about Blackshot?" Hot Rod asked in a hushed voice as he sat down at the table.

"Hell yeah dude I was there! I still can't believe she did that! As if what happened on the ship was crazy enough, that femme's got a real raw nerve!" Miles replied as he took a bite of his bacon

"Well I can't believe she hit Jay-jay, I mean talk about being the worst babysitter ever" Arcee concurred as she and her two other 'selves' sat down beside Jazz with their energon cubes.

"That wasn't babysitting that was child abuse right there!" Glen huffed as he chewed on his toast

"Fer real?" Mudflap raised an optic ridge

"Word. Ain't no excuse for it either" the hacker shot him a look.

"Say, did you hear the verbal beatdown Prime gave her in his office?"

"Yeah-, but wait, I thought the door sound-proofed?"

"It is"

"Damn!"

"But it wasn't just Prime, you shoulda heard Hailey, -slag did _she_ go ape-shit on her aft!" Jazz added, "At one point I actually thought she was gonna leap up and rip her face-plates off! I'm amazed the femme's still in one piece after that"

"Yeah but surly she didn't get off scot-free? I mean hitting a youngling? That's _gotta_ carry a punishment of some kind?" Darren pointed out before he took a sip of his orange juice.

"I heard from Prowl that she spent a night in the brig and Prime put her notice, she's been banned from going near Jay-jay without her guardian present, and she's been put on maintenance duty until further notice"

"A commander on _maintenance duty?_ How embarrassing," Hot Rod gasped

"She shoulda gotten worse" Miles frowned

"Hey, speak of the devil-" Darren pointed to the door where Blackshot appeared, and the whole table fell silent.

The whole room hushed to a handful of whispers as the femme made her way to the energon dispenser; accusing stares watched her, their eyes and optics practically boring into the back of her helm as she poured herself a cube of the pink stuff. All around the room she could hear the whispers and mutters as they drifted up from the crowd...

"She's got some nerve"

"Did she really hit her?"

"What was she thinking?"

"How can a femme even think of doing that?"

But she paid no attention, and frankly she didn't care. With her cube in hand she left the rec-room with her head held high and a serious look on her face, and everyone went back to eating their breakfasts and sipping their energon.

"Man how _the hell_ can she even be proud of herself?" Glen shook his head in disapproval, "She shoulda gotten longer in the brig!" he took another bite of his toast.

"How's Jay-jay doing today?" Hot Rod asked

"Ah you know Jay-jay, tough as bolts" Jazz waved off, "Hailey and Skywarp are having some strict one-on-one time with her today, makin' sure she ain't still afraid, after-, you know"

"...You know I can't believe I'm saying this, but Skywarp as a co-guardian? I thought what the slag was going through Primes CPU? But after what happened yesterday I'm half tempted to think maybe he _really isn't_ the same seeker we knew before" Arcee's blue 'self' thought aloud, "And Hailey as a guardian? Talk about unconventional" her pink 'self' concurred.

"No more unconventional than us" Jazz smiled as he and Miles bro-fisted

"And maybe it's not so bad that everyone knows about it now?"

"How so?"

"Uh, well? ..."

As Miles tried to think up some good reasons, across the room another conversation on the same subject was being held...

"A Decepticon seeker: guardian to a sparkling? What was Prime thinking?" Tracks thought aloud in huff.

"Technically he's the co-guardian. It's the human femme he made guardian" Jolt corrected

"Which one?"

"Uh, the one with golden hair? 'Hailey' I think?Ha"

"Whatever-" Mirage dismissed, "Point is: fair enough Blackshot was seriously out of line yesterday, but the scenario could've been avoided altogether if Prime had chosen a more _suitable_ guardian for the sparkling, one that wouldn't have raised so many optic ridges"

"Yeah, but if the seeker's still questionable why did Prime pick him in the first place?" Jolt reasoned

"I don't know" Tracks huffed, "Who knows what goes through Prime's processor half the time?"

"One thing's for sure, he don't make any choice without good reason, and Skywarp must be legit if he trusts the lil' sparklin' with him and the kid" Warpath pointed out as he downed his cube in one gulp.

"Skywarp? Legit? Don't patronize me-" Mirage frowned, "This is one of Megatron's foremost seekers we're talking about, he's obviously got something going on that we don't know about and he's just waiting for an opportunity to show his true colors and shoot us all in our recharge. I mean trusting him with the first sparkling to be onlined in over twenty seven thousand years? The sparkling should be under lock and key, safely away from him and the other so-called 'defectors'" the mech vented

"I don't know Mirage? Skywarp wasn't exactly double-agent material, a damn good flyer perhaps but never the sharpest laser-blade in the tool box" Warpath pondered aloud

"Twenty five thousand years is ample time to retrain and learn a whole new set of skills" Tracks pointed out, "Having Decepticons amid our ranks is concerning enough, but trusting a _human_ with a sparkling?"

"How's that different to Jazz, Bumblebee and the other bots who've got human younglings to protect?" Jolt pointed out

"_Those_ bots are grown up and evolved enough to be trusted with such a responsibility; look, don't get me wrong the humans certainly have their moments, but taking care of a sparkling? It's just-, _not right_ somehow? And a bot shouldn't have to make accommodations for a lower being of a lower stature"

"Oh? And what Longrange did yesterday was okay?" the dark blue Volt frowned

"Of course not! But I'm just saying, Prime's been making a lot of unorthodox decisions of late and I have to wonder where he's going with all this?"

"You and me both"

"Well, whatever he's got in mind, I'm sure everything will balance itself out eventually. These kinda things always do" Warpath shrugged.

Mirage was about to reply when the four mech's suddenly spotted Ashley trotting in with his father close at his side.

"Look I already said I'm sorry what more do you want me to say?" John huffed in frustration.

"Oh I don't know? Maybe you coulda warned me the snake _had babies_!" Ashley growled sarcastically

"Your backside is covered in metal, why are you even complaining?"

"It still hurt! Those fangs are like needles! It's a miracle the venom didn't kill me!"

"At least now we know the suit's not affected by rattlesnake venom" John offered

"That's a small comfort I suppose?" Ashley shrugged, "Anyway I'm hungry, I hope they left some bacon and eggs" he perked up as he galloped to the canteen.

"That's another thing that puzzles me..." Mirage said in a hushed voice, "What's the deal with that techno-organic suit of his?"

"Jazz didn't tell you how he got that suit?" Jolt blinked in surprise

"No?"

"Oh it was incredible! It all started when-"

"Ah- yeah, can you just skip to the point?" Tracks waved off, Jolt frowned but didn't make an argument of it. "Long story short: the kid sacrificed himself to save his creator from a beam-load of nanites that formed a techno-organic shell around his human frame; at least, that's how Bumblebee put it" Jolt shrugged

"Hmm," Mirage frowned, "And yet that 'shell' is a dead-ringer for Ravage's design"

"Your point?" Warpath asked

"...I'm just saying is all"

* * *

Elsewhere on the base; down in the storage units, Thundercracker was already halfway through the first of his day's workload. Stopping to take a sip from his energon cube, he suddenly became aware that he wasn't alone; turning around, a frown came down over his optics when he saw Longrange standing at the door, arms crossed with a smug look on his face.

"Am I to assume you're here for me?" the seeker remarked sarcastically, putting his cube down on one of the crates.

"You'd guess right..." the young sniper grinned as he stepped into the room, "Seeing as I wasn't able to put these little meat-sacks in their place yesterday, I thought I'd do something more productive with my time today, like taking care of you"

"That's generous, but I'm good here" the seeker replied before he turned to get back to work.

"...Aren't you even _a little bit_ slagged off Prime didn't give you a job up-top? You know? Up in the open? Where the sky is right over your head?" Longrange taunted

"Actually I like it down here, its cool its quiet and I don't have to look up and see your obnoxious aft flying overhead every twenty minutes" the seeker drolled in a dry tone.

"Hm-" the sniper hummed smugly, "That's not what I expected to hear"

"You'd be surprised by a lot of things, but then, you'd actually need a processor for that" the seeker glanced at him over his shoulder with a facetious look,

Longrange frowned, "Look, con-"

"-_Former_ con-" Thundercracker interrupted, "And if you got anything in mind, I suggest you walk away and slag someone else off today; I've got work to get on with, and I'm in no mood for you"

The sniper stood there a moment before he drew his weapon, but Thundercracker was quicker and spun around to swat the gun muzzle away: "You really don't learn do you?" he threatened, "Yesterday you got into trouble, today, I can't even _list_ the number of ways I can frag you up!"

"Ah now you see, that's where your wrong-" Longrange smirked, "You're a _Decepticon_, if you even scratch my paint job you'll get a bullet through your helm for sure" the mech smirked facetiously

"Say's the mech who got his hand shot off for nearly killing a pair of humans" Thundercracker deadpanned, "Your lucky Deathshot didn't do worse"

"HA! _Him_ do worse?!" Longrange burst into laughter, "That mech got lucky! I could put him in his place any time I want!"

"Then why don't you?"

Longrange stilled, his smug grin gave way to an unreadable look

"Hm-, all talk and no brass bearings" the seeker smirked, "Rookies like you have all made the same claim, and they all died soon after. Do yourself a favor and don't join them on the rust pile, get a CPU in that helm of yours and try learning a thing or two about common sense"

Angered, Longrange moved towards him, ready to throw a punch; but Thundercracker read him like a data-pad, and with one powerful blast of his turbo thrusters, shoved the sniper off his feet and out the door with a hard blast of hot air: Longrange slammed against the opposite wall and slid down onto his aft. Dazed at first, he soon regained himself and scrambled to get back up on his feet, he was about to storm back into the room when Thundercracker blocked the door.

"Walk away! You ain't gonna get a fight" the seeker gestured to the security camera up on the wall near the ceiling; as it stared down at them, the sniper vented sharply through his air intakes, "All talk and no bearings? We'll see..." and with that he stormed off back down the corridor.

"I honestly thought he was gonna slug you" Morri thought aloud as she and Danny both stepped out from around the corner of the corridor.

"How long have you been standing there?" Thundercracker asked

"Long enough, I thought you could use someone to keep an eye on you"

"Thanks, but I can handle him just fine" the seeker waved them off, heading back into the room,

"Yeah well after what happened yesterday I'm little concerned, namely for that temper of his, and that's putting it lightly at best" Morri replied as she and her cousin followed him in.

"Rookies like him, both con and bot are nothing new to me; the cons I put in their place and the bots I put on the scrap heap" Thundercracker frowned, "Well, _used_ to put on the scrap heap," he corrected, "Either way he doesn't scare me"

"I've no doubt about that, but even so, he's trouble wherever he goes and we're not taking chances today" Danny reasoned.

"Touching, but I'll be okay," the seeker frowned; seeing the concerning look on their faces, his optics softened slightly, "...Seriously, I'll be okay..." he replied in a softer tone. Scanning her for a brief second, he picked up the bruising around her chest; none of her ribs were broken and her lungs were intact and functioning, but from the sound of her short breaths it must have been uncomfortable for her to breathe properly.

"...How's the injury?" he asked offhand

"Survivable" she offered as she gently rubbed her side, "But it could've been worse"

"Yes..." The seeker sighed, "Which is why it might be a good idea for _you_ to keep your heads down today" he offered

"On a base this size that's not a problem, it's you and the others we're worried about; that's why Bishop asked us to make sure no one goes looking to butt heads with him" Danny replied

"Then I suggest you go: I'll be alright"

"...If you're sure" Morri sighed, and without another word the two cousins left the seeker to his work, "Give us a shout if you need anything!" Danny called over his shoulder. As Thundercracker watched them leave, he couldn't help but pass a heavy sigh: 'Slaggin' idiot, he's _begging_ for trouble' he thought to himself as he got back to work.

* * *

A little while later, aboard the Black Solstus:

On the bridge, Majestrix was busy recalibrating some of the system control hardware on the computers; the day had barely started and she'd already completely about two thirds of the work, and still had much to do. As she got started on the next set of consoles, her attention was alerted to the familiar presence standing behind her; putting down her tools, she turned to face the femme, who stood there with glaring scowl upon her fare face.

"If this is about yesterday I can tell you I still stand by my judgement" she frowned

"You mean your _brother's_ judgement," Blackshot retorted in a threatening tone, "I can't _believe_ you just stood there and didn't say anything!"

"There was nothing _to_ say, and I certainly wasn't going to defend you for what you did!" Majestrix growled as she straightened up and approached her, "Making a point of family ties is one thing, but _hitting a sparkling?_ There's no excuse or justification for that Blackshot!"

"She just needed a little discipline" the femme shot back

"_She's a sparkling!"_ Majestrix raised her voice, "How is she supposed to comprehend right from wrong at her age?! All she understood is that you took her away from her guardian and the only friends she's ever known since she first onlined; you hit her, it hurt, and she didn't know _why?_"

"She's my sister's creation! I was doing what was right!"

"No, you were doing it out of selfish pride..." Majestrix growled, Blackshot didn't reply as the Prima regarded her with a severe look of ire. "...I don't pretend to be ignorant to the fact that you've not been comfortable with your sister becoming a creator, and I certainly don't ignore the fact that you've been looking for an excuse to try and prove the defectors are still loyal to their old fraction...You _know_ all Swiftshot ever wanted was to be a mother, at the very least why can't you accept that and be at peace with it?"

"Because it's a selfish choice," Blackshot argued, "We've bled and died in the name of trying to wipe out the Decepticons and no one is above the call of duty as an Autobot. She shouldn't have put her desires before everyone else's needs, bringing a sparkling into the fray of war: small, weak, defenseless, it would be offline within a cycle. And helping her to take care of it? That's a waste of valuable time and resources we can't afford to spare"

"If we were still in the trenches of the Byroxx system or the meteor fields of the Katanec nebular that would be one thing; but the war is over Blackshot, we have a fully stocked base, three ships and an army of sixty plus bots; that's far better compared to the conditions we had to work with eighty thousand years ago" the Prima retorted

"And what makes you so sure the war _is _over?"

"The Allspark's gone and Cybertron's lost forever, what point is there in carrying on the fight? It's needless bloodshed and a waste on our resources; besides, with the humans as our hosts we can't afford to be so open in our actions anymore, not without getting them killed in process"

"And that's such a terrible thing?" Blackshot raised an optic ridge, "There're over six billion of them crawling around on this rock, and every cycle that passes they propagate in their thousands and pollute and toxify their natural resources more and more; soon it'll get to the point their numbers will be too great to be sustained. So what if a few thousand or a few million die? They're way overdue to be thinned out"

"That is _not_ anyone's call to make!" Majestrix growled venomously, "And Autobots _do not kill_ other sentient beings!"

"Six billion organics spared for the lives of some sixty Autobots? We are the last of our kind, maybe the very last Cybertronians in existence, six billion is a statistic compared to the losses we've suffered over the eons. Who are you to say we have no right to survive?" Blackshot stated coldly

"And _who are you_ to say the humans have to die so we can live?!" Majestrix shouted. A moment of tense silence passed as she calmed herself a little, and passed a deep sigh, "...Why were you interested in being a guardian when you can't even be bothered to remember Jay-jay's name? And don't tell me it's out of obligation to your sister: _that excuse_ has already its course!"

Blackshot contemplated the question a moment before stating coldly, "...'Jay-jay' is the first of our kind to be onlined in eons; she should be locked up, away from the Decepticons and away from the organics"

"And be denied the chance to grow up and experience _a real_ childhood? So many of us had to forsake that precious time to the demands of war, even my _own_ daughters had to grow up fast and forgo their years of innocence! You would take that away from her?"

"If it means she will survive, yes"

"There's more to life than just learning how to survive Blackshot, and denying her a life free from death, carnage and senseless insanity is a cruel choice. And you wonder why I didn't come to your defense? You've got some nerve femme!"

"_And you don't?"_ Blackshot retorted back, "-It's bad enough you didn't reprimand the organics for those stunts they pulled on Longrange, but letting them and the other Autobots bad-mouth our team? How can you even _call _yourself our commander when you haven't even got the brass-bearings to put those cretins in they're place?!"

Her patience and nerve well and truly spent, Majestrix scowled down at her second in command; and in the calmest, yet most venomous voice, spoke, "...It's a different time and a different planet..." she leaned down so her face was right in hers, "..._Learn to live with it_. And if I _ever_ hear that kind talk from you again, I _will _discipline you..." she growled in a low threatening tone before turning her back on her to gaze out of the glass wall with her hands held behind her back. "...You are dismissed".

Seething, Blackshot paced out without another word, and for a moment Majestrix shook her head in agitation, a feral tiger-like snarl escaped her lips as she let the anger go and tried to bring calm to her raw nerve.

"...It would be rather pointless to ask how long you've been standing there" she said as Eclipse softly stepped onto the bridge from where she'd been standing, hidden from sight by one of the huge support struts that stood next to Majestrix's throne-like chair.

"It would, but then, you already knew I was here..." Eclipse replied in a soft unreadable tone, "It's the first time in a long while you've been at loggerheads with her like that" she pointed out.

"...I'm alright, really..." Majestrix waved off, "Her cynicism never fails to get the better of me, but her ill-conceived prejudice?" she sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose plates, "...Does she do this out of pleasure? Because there's certainly no clear reason to this! I don't ask much of her, only that she trust in me and follow my orders, that's all I ever asked of her...of any of you"

"I know" her daughter nodded, "But she does have a point..."

Majestrix stared at her nonplussed, but remained silent as she explained: "Why are we making more accommodations for the humans than our own kind? After saving their lives at Mission City they should be bowing down to us on hand and knee, thanking us for sparing their short-lived existence! Instead, we're made to be lackeys to these lower beings, nothing but convenient transporters and two-legged weapons all in one; we're not permitted to go outside without a native alt-mode, and on top of that we're having to tread around that fool Galloway as if we're treading through a mine-field! He can't do anything to us, none of them can, and whatever they can throw at us in the way of an all-out assault we can hit back ten times worse. Why have these beings as our equals when they can be put to a much better use as a workforce?" she frowned

Majestrix scowled but kept her temper at bay; venting a sharp sigh through her vents, she turned to look out the giant glass wall of the bridge; "...You think that because they're smaller than us that makes them weak?" she proposed

"Doesn't it?" Eclipse raised an optic ridge in confusion.

"Eclipse, you are far too intelligent to be so dense as to judge anything or anyone by size; I taught you better than that my child... Tell me, have you read a piece of human literature called the Odyssey?" Majestrix asked, Eclipse shook her head: "...In one part of the story, the human Odysseus is confronted by the giant Cyclopes, and when asked his name, he tells the Cyclopes: 'my name is no one', then later when he blinds the giant to escape, and the other giants ask who did it, all the Cyclopes could say, was that no one did it"

"A fetching story, but what has it got to do with us?" Eclipse folded her arms

"These humans are a dynamic species, maybe more so than us. Throughout their three millions years of existence they've overcome everything this planet's natural forces have thrown at them, survived every predator that's preyed upon them, and used every resource and thought of ingenuity to calve a home for themselves in even the most unforgiving of conditions. There is no habitat on this world they cannot colonize and thrive in, and no threat they cannot overcome when they put their minds to it...A stark difference compared to our evolution. Are you so sure, they are as weak as you'd like to believe?"

Eclipse didn't answer

"...Where did this line of thinking even come from? You're an _Autobot_: you know the prime directive like the back of your wings, and you _certainly_ know your uncle's view on how all sentient beings must be treated. Why would you go against that?" Majestrix pointed out

Eclipse thought about it a moment, before replying in an unreadable tone, "...Because it's invalid"

"Invalid?" Majestrix echoed, "Explain!"

"When have we, in the entire history of our people, ever relied on other alien species to make any form of progress? Yes we've made contact with one or two down the eons, but overall everything we achieved and attained we did so on our own merit; to suddenly turn around and hold a hand out for those who cannot support or defend themselves is a waste of our time and superior intellect"

"...That's just it" Majestrix sighed, "...'On our own merit', there was a time in our history when we valued the virtues of respecting life, _all life_, not just that of our own species. We went out of our way to help those less fortunate not because we had to look good in the optics of others, but because it was the right thing to do, because being the better beings we had a responsibility to set the example to others and live by what we believed in. What your _uncle_ believes in; you of all people have got some nerve to go against what he is trying to keep alive, the one last good thing we have to hold our names to the meaning of honor, and you would besmirch that by condemning the humans to the rank of lesser beings?" she stated angrily.

"I just don't see what's the point in helping the humans when clearly they're in no position to help themselves; they can't go more than a decade at a time without warring over land, resources, political or religious beliefs or some other kind of petty mediocre excuse; their governments by and large are only interested in accumulating power and wealth, they breed without care or consideration to the fact that the more of them there are the more they deplete their natural resources, and every time they discover something new they either destroy it or internalize it. They're a waste of carbon-based DNA and a plight no one's going to miss once their gone"

"And were _we_ so different?" Majestrix raised an optic ridge, "Within less than a generation we wiped out _everything_ on our planet, practically _cannibalized _our own young, and left _nothing _to regenerate; the Decepticons may have done the bulk of the genocide but_ we_ were no different: we were all just as irresponsible, arrogant, and stupid to think we had the odds in our favor! ...No one's ever perfect Eclipse, and by and large the humans are good by nature, if not they would've gone extinct at their own hands long before we ever came here"

"So a minority know their place, that doesn't make them better than us"

"They may not be less than us, but we're certainly _not _more than them" Majestrix sighed in exasperation. "You may not have to like the humans, but showing them respect, _at the very least is obligatory! _ Do you understand me child?"

Eclipse frowned, "...Yes, I understand; but this changes nothing"

"And what would you have me do? Pack up the ship, leave this world and spend the next several decades drifting through space until we find a suitable planet to colonize? Providing _there are_ any suitable planets left; or would you rather I shoo the humans out of their base and tell them to go slag themselves?" Majestrix stated sarcastically, Eclipse didn't reply, "...You can gripe to me all you want Eclipse, it's not going to change _anything_, and it's about high time you started making your peace with that fact"

A long uneasy silence passed as Eclipse dropped her gaze in contemplation; before something of a different subject came to mind; "This may not change the fact we no longer have a home, but it doesn't change the fact the war isn't over. Those 'defectors', how can _you_ of all people be so naive to think they've changed for the better? Wasn't it _you_ who said the only good con is a dead one?"

"...That was a lifetime ago; and much has changed in the time we've been in stasis. How are _you_ so sure everyone is still the same as they were when we last saw them? What proof can you offer me that our enemies are still as evil as we believe them to be? And are our allies still as good?"

Eclipse stilled, a little taken aback.

"We don't get to choose whose good or evil Eclipse; all we can do is just go with what's happening and trust we're doing the right thing. Even if that means having to take a chance and trust in those we previously doubted"

"Trust? Since when has _trust _ever had to be issued to a Decepticon?"

"_Former_ Decepticon" her mother corrected, "We all have the capacity for both good and evil; some of us don't go our whole lives as one, and through circumstance and self-discovery, _not_ become the other: or vice versa"

"Oh yes, and your such a _big_ expert on that" Eclipse facetiously stated, "If there's one thing I've always relied on you for, it's for being such a bare faced _liar_" she spat, the venomous tone in her voice didn't escape her mother's notice, and right away she had a good idea where she was going with this; "...All this time you've passed yourself off as one of us, one of the _Autobots, _preaching Prime's words of truth, honor and virtue; when _we both know_ that's completely invalid!"

"Eclipse-"

"Of all the people how can you stand there and justify yourself when you know you can never measure up to being a true bot let alone a cybertronian of virtue; after all the things you've done, what right have you to say you're any better?"

Silence

"...I don't pretend to be better..." Majestrix frowned bitterly, "I'm _anything_ but better. Yes I've made bad choices: terrible ones, and unspeakable ones; I don't insult my brother or anyone else by pretending to be something I'm not, and I don't make a point of stating it so. But I've learnt from past mistakes and have vowed _never_ to repeat them, I atone for my sins by helping Optimus in whatever way I can, and trying to restore what's left of our honor as a Division" she stepped closer to her daughter, "...I _never_ said I'm better, just that I am a mother and commander who is doing the best she can under the circumstances"

"And what _are_ you trying to do that's 'doing the best?' hm? Because thus far you've done a fantastic job of doing just about _nothing_; or is it that you hide away in this ship because you're _scared?_" Eclipse frowned, her mother stilled before an equally sour frown came down over her optics, "-Scared that you could be wrong about the cons? Or scared because you know you have no respect or command anymore? Everyone knows what you are, where you come from, and _who your_ _brother_ was, and no matter what you do or what you say, you know it's going to be pointless to do anything to win their trust..."

Majestrix just stood there, her face unmoving, but in her optics her daughter saw anger, bitterness, loathing and hurt flash all at once; she turned her back to her, shoulders slack, as if defeated, and stood there in silence as Eclipse stood there, arms still folded and head held high. "..._Why do you continue to remind me of that fact?_" Majestrix stated in a hardened emotional, almost pleading tone, "I _know _I've done wrong! I know all those times I should've known better I simply wasted on fruitless rage and arrogance; is it not enough that I'm _his_ sister? That I have to pay for _his_ sins for the rest of my life?"

"You will _always _pay for _his_ sins because you're just as guilty as _he_ is!-" Eclipse snapped, "You loved getting revenge on _him_ more than you loved _us_ and I will never forgive you for it! If you think anyone's going to take you seriously on anything, it's that one day, sooner or later _you will snap! _ Just like he did! And when that happens everyone will regret ever letting you into their ranks!" she spat angrily, turning on her heels she strode out the door, leaving her mother there: angry, hurt, and utterly hating herself. Exhausted, she sat down in her chair; her joints felt tired and worn, as if she'd just gone toe to toe with a pack of Predicons, with a soft mew Shadowfang slithered down from out of the mass of wires and cables on the ceiling above, and curled up on her lap with a deep smooth purr of content, the Prima obliged her pet with a soft scratch behind the ears, making her purr even louder. Sensing someone else was on the bridge: she turned her head, and saw Crystalwing peering around the side of the open door...

"...You needn't concern yourself with me..." Majestrix replied in a low soft, almost pained voice.

"I sensed your pain" Crystalwing approached closer, "I worry for my friends, so don't tell me you're alright, because no matter how well you hide it, I know you're not" she added as she sat down next to the Prima. For a while Majestrix contemplated her thoughts as Shadowstar continued to purr happily, directing her mistress's claws to her favorite spot under her chin.

"...She takes no delight in reminding me of the past, and yet she continues to bring it up like a bad glitch that refuses to leave; her cynicism is one thing, but why this? Why not try to come to terms with it?" she thought aloud

"Because in her mind all this is wrong, this isn't the end of the war and she doesn't want to believe it can be so. To some degree the war isn't over for some bots and they have valid points for believing so, Starscream is still unaccounted for and Barricade is still on earth somewhere: it isn't completely inconceivable that the cons can still pose a threat, even when crippled by a drastic depletion in numbers and firepower" the communications officer reasoned, "And if the subject of the defector's honesty is in doubt, I can tell you they haven't-"

"-I know they're not a liability-" Majestrix interrupted, "It takes one to know one, and with all due respect my dear friend you don't need telepathy to work out those seekers aren't going to push their luck, not with the deadliest Autobot sniper stationed on the base, nor are the drones going to be looking for trouble any time soon, it's not in their nature to be so brazen unless they want to be" she smirked, before her face fell unreadable again, "...No, it's not them that's the trouble" she sighed.

"You think you're not worthy to lead?" Crystalwing asked as she sensed her vexed thoughts; Majestrix gazed at her a moment, before letting her optics drop in a sense for defeat. "You can't wallow in pity forever Majestrix; and you certainly can't blame yourself for your brother's actions, you may have had a spark-bond as twins but no one, not even _you_ could've foresaw what he would do"

"Couldn't I?"Majestrix sighed, "I _should've_ known, and everyone knows it...For so long, I'd been preparing for the eventuality that my identity would one day come to light, and I knew when that day came any attempt to try and validate my sincerity would be pointless. So I settled for letting actions speak louder than words and allowing what good deeds I have done speak for themselves ..." she thought aloud, scowling, "...But one look at me, and all they see is my _brother_; and anything else after that bares no importance because their waiting for me to lose my processor and follow him into madness". She stilled for a moment, heaving a heavy sigh, "...This is not working; I should've known better than to expect them to look past their hatred and see the truth, but no; they'd rather be stuck in a warrior's dream of death and glory, and wait for the cons to come knocking at our door so it's back to business as usual..." she straightened up, "I have to take charge again, keep them in line and curb this austerity before anything else happens, or anyone else gets hurts"

"How're you going to do that?"

"...I don't know" she sighed with a wry smirk, "I've been so used to hiding behind holo-projectors and monitors that first-hand confrontation's have been somewhat waylaid to me...", a look of seriousness came over her crimson optics; "I can't just step in, I've got to make a statement; something that puts the bar up a notch, that'll be a clear message to one and all that I am _not_ my twin brother: to prove that I'm not what they think I am" she thought aloud as she stroked Shadowfang's chin.

As the two femme continued to talk, high above them in one of the many ventilation shafts, Shadowstar frowned in bitter ire as she listened closely. At the same time: across the base in proximity of the central hub, Prime was sat in his office contemplating the events of the last week, with Sam, Tom and Bishop lending their perspectives on the subject...

"Look I'm _not saying_ let's drag him behind one of the hangers and go to town on his ass; I'm just saying he's got no right to think high and mighty of himself after all the shit he's been handing out everyone, and what happened yesterday was the last straw!" Sam argued as he paced across Prime's desk; being mindful of the data-pads as he stepped over them.

"Look, Deathshot filled me and the others in on what you two talked about yesterday, and we agree that-, while you guys have a history, the fact Longrange is too young to know any better doesn't give him proverbial carte blanche to go around the base pushing his luck to the point it's gonna get him or someone else into serious trouble" Tom added

"And I too have to confess Prime: while my respect for your judgement still stands I'm now hard pressed to see where you're going with this?" the Colonel offered in a serious yet sympathetic tone; "Major Lennox is now at the end of his tether with Longrange and the other bot's who're acting out of line, as are the rest of the NEST troops and bot's who've come to my office voicing their complaints. If this carries on I will have to report it to Moshower and Galloway, and neither of them are going to take it lightly"

With a mixed look of deep contemplation and wistfulness, Prime straightened up in his chair and vented a heavy sigh through his vents, "I know, and contrary to appearances I'm _not_ treating this lightly; despite repeated warnings Longrange's attitude towards everyone is causing great friction. I haven't overlooked that fact, but at the same time I have to be non-bias and maintain a fair and equal position, as Prime I have to think of _everyone_, not just the ones who have been on the receiving end of this austerity, the ones at fault must also be considered with neutral fairness; innocent until proven guilty, and while Longrange _is_ guilty of what happened yesterday, he also must be given a chance to realize the wrong he has done" he explained

"That's a very long shot in the dark Prime" Tom deadpanned, "And forgive my lack of faith but I don't see how _anyone_ with such a huge ego can look past _anything_ they've done and stop to consider whether everyone might have a point to their accusations"

"Yeah, and I don't know if you noticed but Longrange _is seriously pronoid_: he thinks the whole world revolves around him, _everything is_ _all about him_, and regardless of whatever he say's or doe's it's okay and everyone just takes it because hey, it's all okay right?" Sam sarcastically stated before turning serious again, "Look, this guy needs a _wake-up call_, a big one, cuz whether he likes it or not the way _he_ sees the world is not the same as _everyone_ else sees it, and the sooner he realizes that the better"

"I know Sam" Prime simply stated

"Then what's stopping you? You're the big boss bot go out there and lay down the law on his ass! Tell him you're the one who makes the rules around here and you won't stand for it! For God's sake Sunny's egotistical and you can rein _him _in any day of the week. What's different about that oversized winged prick?" Sam exclaimed

"Two reasons: one, I don't know what 'makes him tick'; for the past week I've tried to approach him from every angle I can think of but no matter what I've tried I've just _not_ been able to get through to him. I've dealt with stubborn rookies before but Longrange really sets a whole new standard for wayward younglings, it's enough to try anyone's patience. And two: I realized this is an opportunity for Majestrix to overcome her self-doubts"

The three humans glanced at one another in confusion; "Okay you lost me, how does Majestrix fit into this?" Bishop raised an eyebrow.

"Despite us all being together on the base, the 9 are still _her_ responsibility, I may be Prime but how she handles and disciplines her troops is ultimately up to her" Optimus explained

"You mean how she _doesn't_ handle or discipline them?" Tom corrected, "She's been holed up in that ship of hers since those bots came out of stasis and not once has she left or showed her face to anyone; I get that she's busy with the remodeling and all but still-," he stopped a second as it suddenly clicked into place, "...Wait a sec, are you saying she's had _doubts_ about her position as commander?" he raised an eyebrow.

"She's had doubts for a very long time Tom..." Prime sighed softly, "Before the war her reputation as commander and guardian of the foundries was well known, her character and loyalty unquestionable; but when Megatron first attacked that all changed, being twins linked by a spark-bond many speculated that she was somehow instrumental in his uprising and subsequent domination over the planet. When his treachery came to light she realized what this meant and she knew it put her in a very dangerous position; for her daughter's sake she went into hiding, and with the con's trying to infiltrate us from every angle she hid her true identity from her own troops, in case one of them was a double-agent"

"A reasonable ploy" Bishop nodded, "But what happened?"

"...You have to understand; Majestrix wasn't always as reasonable or approachable as she is now. A lifetime ago her hatred for Megatron ran so deep that she didn't care what she had to do to get her revenge, and it lead her to make some regrettable choices"

"You mean like recruiting Longrange and the others?"

Prime nodded, "I warned her he was too reckless, he should've been in training for at least another three cycles, but she didn't care about his attitude, just as long as he got the job done. The same went for Velocity, Coldbore: even Blackshot didn't seem to have the right qualities for a second in command, and when Eclipse eventually joined the Division she was just as cynical and stubborn. We argued over it more than once: and more than once we fell out and didn't talk to each other as brother and sister. But over the eons the war dragged out she began to change, the more of Cybertron we lost the more she began to realize just how much damage she had caused, and realized that she had to amend her ways, if not for her sake then for her daughters and troops"

"And now that everyone knows she's Meg's twin sister. Its bad karma all round as far as their concerned" Sam realized

"She knew one day her identity would eventually come to light, and it was an issue I counseled her on as best I could; but no matter how much you hypothesize on a solution to your conundrum, you never truly know what's going to happen until said conundrum is laid bare for all to see. And suffice to say, she believed that stepping back and giving her troops some 'space' to contemplate and meditate on the subject would be the right way to go. But as this last week has proven, Longrange and the others are not the contemplating types" Prime frowned

"So? What can she do now?" Tom asked

"Majestrix is a born leader, has been from the day she onlined; and I know she will rediscover her fortitude and resolve, she just needs the opportunity. If anything happens and Longrange goes too far, I'm confident she will step up and take charge"

"And you're a hundred percent sure of that?" Bishop raised a skeptical eyebrow

"...Colonel Bishop, there is a very important fact about Majestrix that most forget or overlook; she may be Megatron's twin sister, but she's _my_ sister too: we are born of the last Primes, their sparks are the same that beat in both our chambers, their strength, courage, honor and love flow in our energon, and are the same principles we both chose to live our lives by; she has strived and fought her way through darkness, she has had to cope with terrible loss and the pain of every death her twin has inflicted upon our people, and yet despite everything she discovered herself and chose to walk the path of a true Prime" Optimus stated, "She just needs the opportunity to remind herself "

* * *

Sometime later that day:

"My, what a turn around one little dent in a sparklings cheek plate makes; one minute your feared and respected, the next everyone's ready to drag you behind a hanger and-"

"Okay Velocity I get it!" Blackmoon huffed as he lapped up the last of his energon and took off, "I don't have to listen to you slaggers whine all day!" he growled as he flew out of the rec-room. At the same time a sour-faced Longrange strode in, grabbed himself a cube and sat down with Velocity, Coldbore and Eclipse.

"Where've you been all morning?" Velocity raised an optic ridge

"Nowhere" he grumbled

"Oh fine if you're going to be in _that _mood you could at least go and sit at another table" Velocity said in a patronizing tone, the young sniper glanced at her and vented, "That slag-head thinks he can do anything cuz he's got 'rights' as a so-called 'defector'!"

"A little more specific if you please?" the blue femme sighed sarcastically

"Thundercracker!" he growled, "Where the frag does he get off thinking he's better than me?! It's bad enough that meat-sack-lover shot off my hand for nothing, but nooo, he's _just gotta_ rub it in!"

"You're hand again? Get over it already" Eclipse drolled as she shot him a look, Longrange was about to retort when Velocity beat him to it, "You know 'Range, this obsession with the organics and cons is starting to wear quite thin, don't get me wrong I disdain them as much as the next bot, but there are limits as to how far you can take it. Deathshot was generous yesterday in as much he let you _keep _your hand; I _have_ seen him do far worse remember?"

"What the frag's _that_ supposed to mean?!" the young sniper retorted angrily,

Rolling her optics in exasperation, Velocity leaned closer to explain: "It _means_ you can only push your luck so far; this last week has been a freebee and you certainly didn't hold back in taking advantage of it, but now after yesterday's fiasco Prime's just about at the end of his tether with you, and so is everyone else who adores those little squishies. Ergo, your days as a free mech are now severely limited, and if you continue to be as reckless as always, Prime's bots will look for _any _excuse to throw you in the brig for good"

"Pft!" he scoffed, "I'd like to see 'em try!"

"There's a fine line between making a statement and being stupid" Eclipse regarded him with a harsh frown, "Something _you_ could never get your processor around. My 'uncles' ethics may be seriously redundant but he's no fool, and he's not one to underestimate; as many cons have found out the hard way" she took a sip of her cube

"Oh yeah? Then why hasn't he executed the 'defectors' already? We all know it's only a matter of time before they scurry back to their con buddies so why doesn't he do us all a favor and take care of them now?" Longrange quizzed sarcastically

"Because for some reason he and my 'mother' have got in their processors that they've gone all soft-sparked and weak-minded because 'the war finally broke them down and made them see the light', and that now they're easy slag-heads to use for whatever they see fit. What a bunch of slag" she stated in a patronizing tone.

"That's another thing I don't get?" the young sniper asked curiously, "How could you live with your mother all these years knowing she was Megatron's _twin sister_? I mean, doesn't it even bother you that she's _eventually _gonna join up with the cons sooner or later?"

She shot him a sharp look of ire, trying not to take that remark personally and simply replied, "... The day that happens, saying 'I told you so' will be the last thing on your mind"

"So why bother being an Autobot when you can't escape your fate?"

"...I don't know? Some desperate attempt to avoid history repeating itself? I don't know why she does what she does, I don't care and I stopped trying to figure it out a long time ago..." Eclipse thought aloud as the conversation she had with her mother earlier ran through her mind, "But what I don't get is why everyone on this base thinks the war's over? ...Have we really been gone as long as we have? And if so how much _did_ we miss?"

"Not a lot in all likelihood" Velocity shrugged

"Twenty five thousand years isn't _that_ long 'Clips" Longrange huffed in annoyance, "Why everybot's gone off their processors is beyond me, but it sure as pit ain't right! Since when did we even allow cons to defect to our side? It's practically opening the door for Megatron to roll right in and make himself at home; trust a bunch of ground-huggers to do anything right" he grumbled

"Oh and I don't get _anything _right?!" Shadowstar growled as she strode into the rec-room, leapt up onto the bot-sized bar and helped herself to a cube.

"And what's your gripe?" Eclipse asked somewhat sarcastically

"Nothing in particular... At least-, nothing that won't give me any reason to not be slagged off" the sphinx thought aloud in a droll tone as she took her cube and leapt across onto the table, "I'm just sick of this place, sick of the bots, sick of the meat-sacks, and sick of _him_" she deadpanned

"You and me both" Longrange rolled his optics, before registering what she just said, "Wait-, who?"

"That techno-organic freak 'Ashley'-" Shadowstar fumed, "-It's bad enough he's one of the con's lackeys, but having the nerve to pass himself off as one of us? It's just insulting"

"I have to confess I'm a little intrigued by him too" Velocity thought aloud, "An organic bonded to a techno-organic exo-structure? What scientist, bot or con, would conceive of such a device? And for what purpose? Certainly not to add additional force or strategic advantage, he wouldn't last two minutes in full-gone fight. And there's the question of _how_ he actually acquired it"

"I heard it was something to do with saving his creator's life or something like that?" Longrange threw in

"Creator?" Shadowstar stilled

"His 'father'" Eclipse replied, "He's one of those other humans, the ones with the strange accent that aren't native to this continent?"

"...He-, still has a creator?" Shadowstar asked offhand, somewhat alarmed that she hadn't been told of this, or thought to find out for herself.

"Apparently" Velocity shrugged casually,

"What? You jealous?" Longrange smirked, "I don't see why? It's not like _yours_ had any reason to be proud of himself".

At that, Shadowstar scowled up at the young sniper as she crouched low in a threatening posture; Velocity, Eclipse and Coldbore shot him disapproving glares, "What? It's not like he _didn't_ deserve to die? We all knew he was going to go back to his brother sooner or later" he casually stated. In one fluid move and with a sharp feral hiss, Shadowstar swatted the snipers chin hard, knocking his head back and taking him by surprise. She leapt off the table and galloped out of the rec-room, leaving Longrange to try and stop the energon from seeping out of the wound.

"And you wonder why Prime thinks you're reckless? You just _had _to poke at her with _that_: didn't you?" Velocity folded her arms

"Oh come on" the sniper grinned patronizingly as he wiped the energon away, "Her creator was a frag, he should've gotten his priorities straight before he joined us"

"Blackjive was an Autobot through and through" Eclipse fumed, glaring at the sniper with a look of ire, "He never had _anything_ to do with the cons, or his brother for that matter!"

"Is that right?" Longrange laughed;

As the two femmes and one mech sat there regarding him with unsavory looks, Thundercracker walked past the door; Longrange suddenly spotted him and for about a tenth of a second they locked optics and stared at each other intensely. But as soon as it began it was over as the seeker continued on his way without even battering an optic shutter. As he sat there, Longrange had an idea, and a broad grin spread across his face; he downed the last of his cube and got up to leave.

"Where're you going?" Velocity asked

"That slagger thinks I ain't got no brass-bearings? It's time he learnt first-hand who owns the skies round here" he grinned as he left the rec-room; Coldbore got up and followed him out.

"And where're you going?"

"To make sure he doesn't get himself killed" The black sniper replied in an emotionless tone.

"The two femmes looked at each other and sighed in frustration; "Well, when he gets his aft blown off I hope he doesn't come crying to me" Velocity stated before she checked her internal chronometer, "...Time I was going anyway, I got some shooting to get in before the day's out. Later" the blue femme waved goodbye as she got up and left; alone with her thoughts and cube of energon, Eclipse was now left to muse to herself, thinking she was totally alone.

But some way down the corridor, within audio-range of the rec-room, Portia sat on the ceiling as still as a statue, and as silent as a shadow; listening, and worrying. As silently as she had crept along, she left as stealthily, and headed towards Prime's office, hoping her concerns wouldn't be taken lightly.

After navigating through the labyrinth of corridors, Velocity emerged out of the eastern entrance and made her way to the Autobot's firing range; there she found Deathshot with his sniper gun drawn, and Morri sitting on a tall broad boulder near his side with a small stack of human and bot sized data-pads. While Deathshot was busy shooting, Morri seemed to be looking over a variety of different rosters, lists, inventories and other necessary 'digital paperwork'. With a small cocky smile the blue femme instantly put on her wistful wilting flower act, strode around the sniper as if she hadn't noticed him and took up a possession at one of the other firing points some several meters away; she knew he knew she was there, nothing escaped his keen scanners, and as she (deliberately) slowly set up her rifle she casually glanced across, and met the sniper's optics for a brief second. His disapproving frown told her he wasn't in the mood to entertain her presence, it shouldn't have been surprising considering what happened yesterday; but she was intrigued, and his attitude was nothing she couldn't smooth-talk her way around (or could _try_ at the very least).

"So is it the silent treatment today, or just the cold shoulder?" Velocity casually asked

"A little of both, you didn't exactly step in to try and stop him you know?" Morri replied in an unreadable tone, not even looking up from her work while Deathshot carried on as if he hadn't even heard her.

"If there's one thing I learnt about Longrange it's that he's too stupid and brash to listen to _anyone's_ reason, it wouldn't have made a lot of difference if I'd stepped in" the blue femme stated smoothly

"You still could've tried" the human shot back

"Try to stop the youngling who thinks he can best the' death shot'?" Velocity asked rhetorically; Morri didn't reply, "...Look, I'm sorry for what happened yesterday, but that cousin of yours and his friend shouldn't have pushed him like that. Everyone knows that youngling can't take a joke if it's directed at him: they should've asked first"

"No one's perfect: and miscalculations are an occupational hazard of pranking; but perhaps Tom and Miles _might _have asked if you hadn't been so condescending in the first place?" Morri frowned at her, "All week long you've been gossiping and spreading false rumors about everyone who doesn't measure up to your standards or expectations; is it any wonder you've been given the cold shoulder?" Morri replied

"...I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised" Velocity lied, "But then the 9 have always maintained a strict level of standards; not just anyone could make the cut, and I guess old habits die hard in that respect"

"Not hard enough" the brunette shot back

Velocity didn't reply, and directed her attention to Deathshot: "And I suppose you agree?" she asked him

"Yes" he simply stated

"...I don't get you Deathshot?" she lied again, "Twenty five thousand years in the wind and you come back so...'different'; what changed?"

"Everything" he frowned

"Specifically?" she asked

"_Everything_" he stated again, the tone in his voice told her he didn't want to go into detail.

"That doesn't enlighten me much" she replied sarcastically, he glanced at her again, but his expression didn't change.

"...A lot of things I _thought_ I knew to be right, were wrong" he stated

"Such as?"

"My morality"

She stopped: that _actually_ caught her attention, and as she dropped her weapon and held it by her side, she glanced at him with a genuine look of curiosity, and at the risk of sounding naive, asked him, "...Morality? ...Since when has that ever been a concern for you?"

"Since I realized there's more to life than just being a living weapon; I _choose _to start living my life for myself: _not_ to suit everyone's expectations of me" he stated

"But you're the best sniper in all the history of the Autobots, no one's even come close to matching your kill-stats; aren't you worried about your reputation being ruined if the cons find that out?"

"How the cons view me won't have any bearings on my abilities; how I see myself isn't important anymore"

That took her aback a little, and Morri didn't miss the brief glint of surprise flit through her optics as she regarded Deathshot with a weirded-out gaze; she could clearly see this was Deathshot talking, but it wasn't the old Deathshot _she_ knew from before. A hundred different notions ran through her mind as Morri pondered on what kind of mech Deathshot must have been before he came to earth, considering the state she found him in she had a pretty good idea, but seeing how his old colleagues treated him; she began to wonder if he had been just like them at one time? Had he been just as cold, obnoxious and arrogant? While she was curious, at the same time she began to get a sneaking suspicion that perhaps it was best she didn't know. Velocity too was confounded by her former team-mate, but on a whole other level; this wasn't the 'Death shot' she knew from so long ago, this wasn't _her _Deathshot. Looking at him, and seeing his optics filled with a kindness she never knew he could have, something in the back of her mind began to turn in another direction, and suddenly the idea taking a cheap shot at him for being soft-sparked didn't seem so satisfying.

"So? How do you see yourself?" Velocity asked offhand

Now it was Deathshot's turn to be surprised, of all the things Velocity tended to say aloud he hadn't expected her to say _that_; he lowered his weapon, and with an unreadable look, met her gaze and stated honestly, "...As a mech who's trying to make up for his mistakes, and who doesn't let his past dictate his future". Velocity simply gazed at him, confusion, doubt, unease and surprise all flew through her mind as she tried to process what he just said, and realized that he hadn't lied.

As she watched the two snipers from her boulder and saw the way they were gazing at each other, Morri was suddenly aware that something profound had just happened, and that as they stood there gazing at each other with those unreadable poker faces, Velocity had _actually _listened to him. She looked like she wanted to say something, but the hesitation in her optics told him something was holding her back, and as she opened her mouth to try and speak, something caught Deathshot's attention. Snapping his head up to the sky, he saw Thundercracker soaring high up in the endless blue; directing his scanners up at the seeker, he suddenly spotted what had piqued his uncanny instinct and frowned in agitation.

"What's wrong?" Morri asked

"I gotta go, it might be nothing, but just to be sure-" he folded away his weapon, leapt off the ground, transformed and flew up into the air, engaging his stealth mode and disappeared from sight; Velocity and Morri were both left standing there, wondering what had just happened.

High up above the desert, Thundercracker cruised on the warm afternoon winds, enjoying the view and taking pleasure in the solitude the open sky offered. He had been cruising at this altitude for some time and was about to go up higher, when suddenly something on his long-range scanners made him stop; about several or so miles behind him, Longrange and Coldbore were cruising at the same speed and altitude, both close to each other with Longrange leading the way. The fact they virtually appeared out of nowhere didn't alarm the seeker, being snipers their stealth capabilities out-classed his own by a long shot, but the fact they were tailing him like this didn't seem right somehow.

'What're they up to?' the seeker thought in concern. Suddenly, the two snipers disengaged their close formation and flew apart until they were on both Thundercracker's left and right wings; taking the intuitive to see what they were up to, Thundercracker banked left, and the snipers both followed him and stayed on his flanks, he banked right, they banked right.

'Okay, let's see...' the seeker thought as he gunned his turbo thrusters and shot up into the upper atmosphere, the snipers didn't miss a beat and followed his straight up. **"Alright you two, what gives?"** he commed them, but the crackling static that came through on the reply told him his comm was being jammed, and he scanned them, he suddenly picked up the tell-tale energy signature of their guns charging up, ready to fire...

'SLAG!' he cursed himself mentally, and didn't waste any time in taking evasive manoeuvres as they open fire on him. The first rounds missed him by several meters, as did the second, the third and the forth as he banked sharply and barrel-rolled to avoid them. 'So you wanna have some fun eh?' Thundercracker smirked internally, 'Okay rookie, time you learnt what happens when you frag with a seeker'

With cool calm fluid ease, Thundercracker maneuvered himself in front of Longrange, disengaged his engines, transformed, and with one back-flip landed himself on top of the young sniper's canopy; with his outstretched wings he forced the jet to take a steep dive downwards and tailspin so he was out of Coldbore's line of fire, using the younger sniper as a shield to keep the older sniper at a distance. Longrange didn't waste any time, and transformed to try and grab the seeker by his wings, but Thundercracker beat him to it and jetted off back up with both snipers chasing him close behind.

"Okay, if this is meant to be fun, I'm not laughing!" the seeker stated sarcastically

"It'll be fun for me!-" Longrange called out as he fired his wrist guns at the seeker, narrowly missing him by inches, "-When I shoot your spark out and watch you plummet to the ground!"

"Is this about earlier? You _really_ don't wanna take me on rookie!" Thundercracker warned

"Take on an old flying scrap-pile like you? HA! Now _that's_ funny!" the young sniper burst out into laughter.

"Okay, you want a laugh? Try this-" Thundercracker grinned as he disengaged his engines and flipped over the sniper's head, grabbed him by his air intake and dragged him down. From there it an airborne game of cat and mouse, with Longrange hopelessly trying to keep up as Thundercracker banked, dived, barrel-rolled his way around the sky; he threw off the youngster with a verity of different angled displacement rolls, he crept up on him with barrel-roll attacks: and once or twice he disorientated the sniper by firing up his turbo thrusters and flying past him at such close proximity, that the resulting sonic booms threw him and his scanners off completely. He wasn't called Thundercracker for nothing, and by now the spectacle had drawn a crowd of bots and humans outside to see what was going on. Those that had been watching from the start had a good idea what was going on, while everyone else was left to wonder where this was going and what would happen next.

"Shouldn't someone go up there and stop 'em?!" Glen exclaimed in alarm

"No" Jetfire frowned, "Thundercracker was never one for toying with his victims: if he'd wanted him dead he'd have killed at the first move. He's just teaching that little slagger what he gets for pushing his luck"

"So? Your just gonna let them beat the shit outta each other?" Miles raised an eyebrow

"That pretty much sums it up" Kup grumbled, "This slag ends today, Prime wouldn't want that lil' slag-head causing anymore friction. That kinda behavior has led many bots to their deaths, not because of the enemy, but because that kinda abrasive and spoilt attitude turns soldiers into dangerous liabilities; better he gets put in his place now than to go off on his own and compromise everyone in a fire-fight later" the ancient Autobot frowned up at the airborne fight.

"Besides, he's underestimated the importance of experience over superior technology; Longrange is trying to gain the upper-hand over 'Cracker by sneaking up on him in his stealth mode, but at that close range 'Cracker's got him pinned with those sonic booms acting as a make-shift radar and 'audio flash bang grenade', there's no way he'll last much longer if he doesn't break off and put some distance between him and the seeker" Jetfire pointed out.

"Hey is it just me but wasn't Coldbore up there with them a few minutes ago?" Glen suddenly realized

"Tired yet?" Thundercracker called over

"LIKE PIT!" Longrange angrily spat as he tried to dive down on the seeker, but with hardly any effort Thundercracker dodged him and flew over him as he tried to regain his bearings.

"You know? I'm seriously beginning to think it's not worth my time to wait for you to learn your lesson; I can keep this up all day, but you? You're just flying around in circles and not once have you learnt anything from your mistakes" The seeker stated facetiously

"I don't make mistakes! And there sure as pit _ain't anything_ I want to learn from a slaggin' con like you!" the young sniper shot back

"Oh here we go again-" Thundercracker drolled as he dodged another barrel-roll, "If your gonna be sticking with that old broken data-track, try telling it to someone who gives a slag! I got better things to do than fly around with you on my tail-fins all day!" the seeker frowned as he banked up, transformed back into his altmode and flew away. 'Stupid slaggin little frag-head' he muttered to himself internally as he headed out over the desert and away from the base; the coast was a few hours away, the cool ocean winds would be just the thing to ease his nerve...

Suddenly, a sharp crack and red hot pain shot through his side and wing; red warning signs flashed through his optic's visual display as he disengaged his turbo thrusters and started losing altitude; transforming back into mech mode, he managed to maintain enough thrust to make a bumpy landing a few hundred yards short of the perimeter fence. Looking down and behind him, he scowled as the small bullet hole in his wing and engine leaked energon and sparked from the damaged circuitry beneath. Though it wasn't life-threatening, there was no way he could fly with this kind of damage, and as he glanced up to see a smiling Longrange hovering overhead with his sniper gun still smoking and Coldbore at his side, he realized his day was about to go from bad to much worse.

* * *

Dammit Longrange! You just have to push it don't you? B(

**A/N:** I didn't want to break it off there, but I kinda felt that if this chapter was gonna drag out any further it just wasn't gonna work; plus, I think I might have tripped up the context in places, I'm not sure? could you please help by letting me know what you think? I've be very grateful for your input ;) Many regards and hope you stay tuned for the next update!


	5. Chpt 4: Reckless

Hey there! :D Did you all have a great Christmas? Hope you all had a lovely time cuz its back to business as usual with a pre-new year update: and suffice to say, things kinda go from bad to worse for our bots :( Read and enjoy, and have a great new year!

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 4: Reckless

"Not one for playing fair are you?" Thundercracker grinned up at Longrange, "You'd have made a good con in that regard"

"I never play fair; it doesn't guarantee a win" Longrange smirked as he aimed at the seeker's spark chamber, "But cheating and taking the easy way? That always insures your gonna come out on top, kinda like now"

Thundercracker frowned, "You do realize if you kill me Prime will either throw you in the brig or worse; last time I checked killing a defector's not a 'slap-on-the-wrist-joint' kinda crime"

"What crime? I'm killing a Decepticon, ain't nothing to be punished for as far as I see it?" the young sniper retorted; at that, Thundercracker stood his ground and straightened up as best he could; the wound in his side throbbed with blunt pain, but it didn't deter or distract him. "You really don't get it do you?" he stated, "The war's over and we _all _lost out; I haven't been a con for a good few centuries now, and I'd rather spend the rest of my cycles giving back what I've taken as appose to blindly following a monster. Megatron can rust in the pit for all I care, and I don't care what you accuse me of; I defected because I want to live my _own _life, that's all that matters to me"

"If that's meant to be a plea for your life it's a pretty feeble one" Longrange grinned, "After all the lives you've taken you have the audacity to beg for your life? Why should I believe anything you say?"

"What makes _you_ think anyone believes you?" Thundercracker shot back, "You've had plenty of opportunities to think better of your actions but so far you've done nothing but prove you're a spiteful obnoxious self-centered little runt who couldn't care less for his own safety let alone the safety of his teammates. True I was con once and I now regret everything I did back then, but _not once_ did I try to make excuses for myself or try to hide what I am; but you? You've got _some nerve_ to be preaching Prime's words when you don't even believe in his wisdom in the first place!" he fumed, "Everything's a joke to you, and nothing holds any value: not even other people"

"Like when have I ever needed anyone to help me? I'm one of the best snipers in the Autobot army, those ground-huggers and amateurs are dead-weights; they can't even come close to matching my skills, and anyone who's had the ball bearings to take me on always wound up offline" Longrange shot back

"Then why am I still here? ..." the seeker regarded him with a raised optic ridge, "Come to think of it, why haven't you pulled the trigger already? ..."

Longrange stilled: suddenly taken aback and realizing, that indeed he hadn't pulled the trigger. As he watched the sniper carefully, an idea came to mind, and Thundercracker decided to change tactics to see if he could shift the odds back in his favor...

"I've known a lot of snipers over the eon's rookie, killed a good few too: and the best ones never like listening to their own voices" Thundercracker deliberately taunted him, "If you'd _really_ wanted me dead you'd have taken a head shot-" he pointed to the bullet hole in his side, "-But instead you want satisfaction and to keep that over-inflated ego of yours happy; if you'd _wanted_ to bring pain you should've signed up to be a Wrecker or a seeker, not some amateur excuse for a sniper who can't even be asked to shoot straight"

As he listened, Longrange was getting more and more pissed off by the second; Thundercracker knew he had him right where he wanted, and didn't stop as Coldbore watched in silence, if he knew (or had a very well educated guess as to) what he was up to, he certainly wasn't objecting to it.

"How many cons have you _actually_ killed? You claim you're the best and yet Deathshot still holds the record for the highest kill-rate of _any one sniper_, even _the best_ Decepticon snipers couldn't match up to _him_, and don't even get me started on how many of us seekers wanted to see him dead, but you? No one ever heard of you, pit even _I_ hadn't heard of you until we first met over a week ago; and not once in all my years as a con did I ever hear any scuttlebutt of a 'Longrange' picking us off..." Thundercracker stated sarcastically, "Face it rookie, you're a two-bit amateur chasing to keep up with the big bot's, a smarmy little glitch trying to prove he's got the ball bearings when he can't even measure up to a seeker like me. I can fly rings around you all day leaving you to suck on my exhaust fumes, and yet you _still_ gave _the gall_ to say you had me beat? Pathetic, and what's more, when everybody else hears about this, even Megatron will be laughing in his grave, and _no one, is ever going to let you forget it_"

"THAT'S IT!" Longrange growled as he lost it: folding up his weapon in record speed and firing up his turbo thrusters in a loud thunderous roar, he dived down at the seeker with his fists at the ready; but Thundercracker simply smirked as he dodged out of the way, letting the youngster crash head first into a stack of boulders. He had him well and truly pissed off, and with his over-inflated ego fit to burst he _wasn't _going to cool down any time soon; Longrange was now emotionally compromised: not the best state of mind to be in when taking on a well-seasoned seeker who could keep a level head in even the tightest of situations. As the enraged sniper picked himself up out of the smashed rocks and dirt, he came at the seeker again and tried to hit him with an upper right cut, but Thundercracker merely ducked and went on the offense with a quick succession of three blows to the face, and with one of his engines still functioning, blasted the sniper back, making him loose his balance and fall over backwards into a deep gully.

Coldbore watched the ensuing fight with a sour disdainful look; Longrange was seriously outmatched and outgunned as Thundercracker danced and weaved around the labyrinth of rocks, gullies, stacks, ridges and boulders, always staying one step ahead of the enraged youngster as he chased after him. The fact this seeker was well versed at both airborne and ground based combat _should've_ registered in Longrange's mind by now, but instead, he continued to blindly shoot at the seeker, who simply ducked, dodged and weaved out of the way. Eventually he lead the pursuit into the 'pin ball maze', a dangerous formation of rocks and ridges on the north side of the base's western mountain, that (unsurprisingly) resembles the layout of a pin ball machine, and was a hazardous place to get stuck in if you didn't keep an optic out for the deep crevasses and gullies that dropped down in certain places. But it was no obstacle for Thundercracker as he made his way across the treacherous topography; he came within range of the mountain when the sound of engines firing up got his attention: he turned around just in time to see Longrange's fist come straight at him, and with one hard punch to the jaw-plate the seeker lost his grip and tumbled down into a shallow crevasse, with the sniper tumbling down after him.

Before he had a chance to get stuck in the tight space, Thundercracker flipped over and latched onto the rock with his talons, and grabbed the sniper by his ankle before he fell any further. Thundercracker tried to climb up but Longrange struggled and fired up at him: three shots went through his tailfins and one clipped the side of his engine, but one went straight into his wing joint and all at once a sharp pain went through his back and wings. Now _that _was a serious injury, if the bullet had hit part of his flight-control systems he was in serious trouble, and wouldn't be a position to fight for much longer.

Quickly, he scrambled up the side of the crevasse and with a strained grunt he threw Longrange over his head before firing at him with a small volley of ion-plasma rounds to knock him some distance away. Not wasting any time, Thundercracker made a bee-line for the mountain and amid the tall stacks and boulder's spotted a sizable cave under an overhanging cliff face; he quickly dived in and found it went back into the mountain for quite some distance; this wasn't a good place to be cornered, but he now had some cover to protect his injury, he tried to comm the base but found it was still being jammed. 'Frag!' he cursed mentally, looking at the injury to the base of his wing, a pang of worry went through him as the wound was bleeding a lot of energon, the damn punk must've hit a vital line, and that wasn't good. He could hear Longrange's engines approaching, and stepped back inside the cave to avoid his scanners, but when he glanced down at the floor and spotted the blue energon trail leading out of the cave mouth, he cursed under his breath and readied himself for round two. As he heard the young sniper approach closer and closer, he realized he was now right on top of him; when suddenly, a loud clang and a yelp of shock echoed into the cave as Longrange was tackled to the ground by Deathshot. Blinking in surprise, completely taken aback; Thundercracker rushed to the entrance as the two snipers scrambled back up onto their feet.

"You _really are a stupid glutton_ for punishment!" Deathshot angrily spat he punched Longrange hard in the jaw-plate, "It's bad enough you don't learn your lesson the first several times round, but _this_ really takes the proverbial biscuit!" he hit him again, knocking him on his aft.

"That fragger-" Longrange vented as he tried to get air to his overheated circuits.

"-Was not to blame, I've been watching the whole thing from the second you crept up on him" Deathshot interrupted, Longrange stared at him in astonished alarm; "Wha-, Is that true?" he gazed up at Coldbore, who simply nodded in reply. Enraged, Longrange got back up on his feet and stormed towards the midnight blue sniper.

"This. Is. SLAG!" he roared as he got right up in his face, "-How the frag can you stand up for him! After all he-"

"-SAVE IT LONGRANGE!" Deathshot snapped, "-You're not getting away with this one! And _don't you dare_ think I or Prime will be kidding this time! I don't-" But without warning, Longrange slugged the older sniper right in the face, knocking him back.

"I am sick and tired of hearing this same old slag over and over again..." Longrange stated in a disturbingly calm tone, the venom and hate in his voice told them he was getting geared up again; "You are _all_ out of your slaggin' processors if you think _that con_ or any of his buddies have changed in the slightest. They will wait, and once our guard's all the way down they'll shoot us in our recharge and steal every last bit of data they can get their claws on" he punched Deathshot again, "What's it gonna take for you to realize that! A bullet to the helm? Or seeing your precious pets squished into a dead pile of mince-meat?" he growled as he punched him again, "Or perhaps seeing our so called 'commander' tearing out our sparks one by one? Face it; we've been compromised from the very beginning, that slag of a femme Majestrix is-"

"-Don't you _dare_ speak of her like that!-" Deathshot retaliated as he hit Longrange back, "You have _no idea_ what she went through to keep her brother from finding us! _The sacrifices_ she had to make to keep us all alive! You should be _on your knees_ in gratitude to her for all she's done!"

"_What kinda high-grade are you on?!_" Longrange spat as he tackled the sniper and tried to hold him in a wing-lock, "She's practically Megatron's clone! Bonded to him by his very spark! Everything he knew she knows, and it's no secret they shared the same blood lust!-" he punched Deathshot again, "-And with him gone and leaving a hole in her spark from the broken bond, it won't be long before she cracks like he did!" he tried to hit him again, but this time Deathshot broke loose and hit him back with four hard successive punches, knocking him back onto his aft.

"That bond was severed a lifetime ago, and she's had _no love_ for him since then; she's done what she can to make amends, to try and follow Optimus's example... I don't expect you to understand, you _never understood anything_ beyond your own sense of blind hateful narcissism, but is it _too much_ to ask that you keep your opinions to yourself and just let the past be past?" Deathshot seethed

Longrange wiped the energon from his dented face and gazed up at the sniper with an accusing hateful gaze, "And what the frag makes you think the past is behind us huh? She's Megatron's _twin sister_, she'll _never_ be anything but a fake and a liar; wearing that insignia doesn't make her anymore a bot than him!" he pointed to Thundercracker and his Autobot insignia, "And as long as she's alive, we're all _as good as dead_"

"Believe whatever you want-" Deathshot vented, "I'm done with you and your obnoxious pronoid attitude. Prime is probably the _only one_ left now who'll be willing to show you _any _form of mercy, because Primus only knows I've got _none_ left for you..." Deathshot sighed bitterly as he gestured for Thundercracker to follow him; the seeker didn't reply and stepped out of the cave.

As he watched them walk away, Longrange's ego-fueled temper boiled over and got the better of him yet again, and in rapid succession he unfurled his gun and aimed at the back of Thundercracker's head; time slowed to a near-stop as Deathshot detected the energy of the charging ion-plasma, unfurled his own gun and spun round on a sixpence to aim at the younger gunner. Coldbore watched unfazed as Thundercracker had barely registered what was happening, until suddenly, something long and sticky hit the side of Longrange's gun and pulled it back sharply, directing the shot up into the sky as he pulled the trigger. When time caught up again, everyone blinked in surprise to see a long huge strand of spider's webbing stuck to Longrange's gun. A sinister insect-like hiss guided everyone's gaze up to the spider femme standing on top of a large round bolder.

"Portia?" Deathshot blinked in surprise

"You're not the only one who surmised this little punk would be getting into trouble" she frowned as she crawled down the side of the bolder on her six long spider-legs, "I 'might' have overheard your conversation in the rec-room earlier, and decided to keep an optic on you..." she regarded Longrange with a venomous frown, "And you Coldbore, why didn't you try to stop him? You _knew_ he intended to kill him, why didn't you intervene?" she demanded, the black sniper merely frowned and didn't utter a word. Deathshot regarded him with a harsh gaze, "You wanted him dead too?" he asked sternly, but no reply came as the two snipers glared at each other, "You were in on this together?" he pressed Longrange.

"_What do you think?_" Longrange shot back in a patronizing tone, "Of course he was in on it! I just asked to have the first three rounds"

"And watch you get your aft kicked, at least _he's_ the smart one" Thundercracker shot back.

"Seriously Coldbore? Longrange doesn't surprise me, but you? I never expected _you_ to go this low!" Portia hissed, the black sniper never replied, and simply stared them down with his cold hard poker face, "...Fine you want to play it that way? You can join Longrange in the brig once we get back to base" she stated; "And what makes you think we're the only ones huh?" Longrange spat, "Do you have _any idea_ how many bots would _love_ to see the cons dead? How many would like to see _them_ in the brig? I'm doing everyone a favor and all you can think about is that slaggin' out-of-date prime directive putting their entitlements before all of us?!" he seethed before calming down a little, "...But then, you _would _stick up for them wouldn't you? After all, you _were _Shockwave's whore for the better part of a few eons" he smirked slyly.

With a sharp hiss Portia unsheathed her claws and struck the young sniper across the face hard, sending him flying until he slammed against a nearby bolder; scuttling over to his side, she bent down and maneuvered herself over the side of the bolder so she was hanging upside down right over him, "...You are _very lucky_ I didn't turn sides, because if I did, I would take this opportunity to really make sure you knew _the true_ meaning of pain..." she threatened in a soft but venomous voice, "You have pushed your luck for the last time Longrange, and I promise you Prime will _not_ be in a forgiving mood. Now disengage your comm-frequency jammer and let me contact the base"

But Longrange wasn't finished, and as he raised his fist to strike her, she beat him to it and rapidly unleashed a flurry of silk-strands and webbing, wrapping him up in tightly woven cocoon; he struggled and wriggled as hard as he could but the webbing was stuck to him like concrete, even his air-intakes were covered so he couldn't engage his engines. "You slaggin' freak! When I get out I'll-"

"-Make a fool of yourself again, and again and again; you _never_ learn Longrange, what makes you think you'll win the next time you get into trouble?" she stated coldly, "And you? Do I have to drag you back in a cocoon too?" she glanced over at Coldbore, who didn't more, nor give any sign that he was going to comply.

"Coldbore..." Deathshot stepped towards him, the black mech didn't budge an inch, and as Deathshot readied himself, the ground began to rumble...

It was a tiny set of vibrations, coupled with some thunder-like tremors; as they looked around and listened, the sound felt like it was coming from the ground. "What the slag is that?" Thundercracker thought aloud, "No idea" Deathshot replied. "Uh Guys? I think I might have an idea what it is..." Portia pointed to the cave.

Looking up at the cave mouth Thundercracker suddenly noticed the entrance wasn't formed naturally; in fact it wasn't a cave at all, but a tunnel covered with diamond and triangular scratches and gouges that criss-crossed over one another in a continual geometric pattern that seemed to spiral around the tunnel wall. Suddenly, with a sense of dread welling up, the seeker remembered what kind of machine...or rather, what kind of _creature_ made those kinds of marks.

"...Don't tell me it's-"

Down the tunnel, somewhere deep below, a strange electronic whale-like moaning rose up and echoed out into the desert, all around the desert animals scattered and fled as another set of vibrations grew louder and more intense, followed but a loud course whirling noise, like a giant drill boring through rock. It wasn't long before they spotted the flashing of silver teeth, and the giant mechanical mouth that was coming right at them.

"-RUN!" Thundercracker panicked as he took off like a turbo-fox out of the pit; to hell with the pain in his wing, you didn't stand in Geo's way when she'd been disturbed; Deathshot and Coldbore both picked up Longrange, fired up their engines and took off just as the driller emerged from her nest, Portia narrowly missed Geo as she tried to swat her down with of her long tentacles, but the spider femme was much too quick, even in her stealth helicopter altmode, and flew off to cover the sniper's backs. The huge driller watched the flyers as they jetted out of range, and let out a short but terrible ear-splitting shriek, as if ticked off to have not caught them. It wasn't unknown that female drillers were very territorial, and having heard the fight right outside her main entrance tunnel, Geo wouldn't stand for _anyone_ being on her patch (even if said patch was mostly underground). Satisfied they wouldn't be coming back: she slowly backed up into her hole and disappeared from sight, heading back under the mountain. Thundercracker kept running through the labyrinth of rocks and gullies until finally the base was in sight, and upon realizing the jamming signal was now gone, he wasted no time in contacting Prime and the others while Deathshot, Coldbore and Portia landed with Longrange in hand, and continued the rest of the journey on foot.

It was another twenty or so minutes before they reached the first set of hangers on the base's airstrip; in all that time no one had spoken, and with the fierce heat of the desert sun not improving their temperaments, Thundercracker didn't dare say anything, and took point with the other close behind. As they went along, he couldn't help but feel he was like a prisoner being marched to his cell, he could feel Longrange's gaze boring into the back of his helm, and although the little punk didn't scare him... Still, something about all this began to feel like it hadn't been the right way to go about handling the situation: and somewhere in the back of his mind he began to regret goading the young sniper into that fight. He told himself it was a purely tactical move, the only means he could think of to get the sniper down on the ground and on an equal level with him. So why was he feeling like something about it had been wrong? Why the suspicion that something was out of place? And if Deathshot and Portia had been watching like they said, did they see anything that was off too? As they approached the airstrip he pushed his thoughts aside and put a pin in them to contemplate later; as they crossed the taxi runway they were greeted by a gathering of bots and humans, who regarded them with mixed looks. But standing at the front of the group with their arms folded, Optimus and Majestrix stood side by side with harsh reprimanding gazes as Ironhide, Ratchet, Jetfire, Kup, Ultra Magnus, Prowl and Jazz stood by them with equally displeased looks.

As Deathshot and Coldbore put Longrange down and stood him up on his feet, Prime stepped forward, took a second to scan over their dents, dings and other minor injuries and shook his head in disappointment; Deathshot hung his head in shame, but Longrange, in all his cockiness, glared definitely up at Prime: waiting to have another go at him.

Meeting the younger sniper's gaze with a stern look of his own, Prime vented sharply, and stated "...Considering Portia relayed her optic and audio feed of the whole incident to me in real-time, an explanation as to _how_ this first started _will not_ be necessary, nor will Thundercracker's status as a former Decepticon bare any weight on my judgment in this matter. Needless to say I am both _very_ disappointed, and _astounded_ that you could be so reckless in such an incredible fashion; at the very least, what do you have to say in your defense?" he demanded. Longrange simply glared up at him and spat a mouthful of leaked energon into his face; the other bots gasped in shock before voicing their heated objections at him, and just before they had a chance to become an angry mob Majestrix snapped her hand up to stop them. No one moved nor spoke, and as she glared down at Longrange, her other hand grasped him by the neck and effortlessly lifted him up off the ground; the crowd watched on in fear and astonishment as she squeezed him so tightly that the armor plating and spinal unit in his neck began to grind and squeak under the pressure, so much so that some were worried his head would snap right off.

"Prime wasn't the only one who picked up that live feed..." she stated in a cool calm, yet venomous tone, "Throwing around such delusions of grandeur is intolerable enough; but disrespecting my brother like that? _Not_ a wise choice" she stated.

Through the pain of her vice-like grip, Longrange brazenly smiled at her and taunted: "...D-do it..._I dare you..._" he wriggled to try and free up his vocalizer a little more, "All this t-time you tell yourself your bot; but _we all know_ what you _really_ are. So why don't you just do yourself a favor, and prove what everyone's been guessing". A tense uneasy moment of silence passed as Majestrix just stood there with the sniper in her grip; everyone watched in dread, waiting to see what would happen. Longrange simply smiled, goading the commander to give into her anger; but after a moment Optimus gently laid a hand on her shoulder: "Majestrix..." he said softly, and with an annoyed huff she dropped Longrange, letting him fall to the ground in a pile of metal and webbing.

"Ratchet, Ironhide, Jazz, Jetfire!" she barked, the four mech's stepped forward obligingly; "Take him down to the med-bay, see to his injuries and then escort him down to the brig. Deathshot, Thundercracker, both of you report to Moonshine's workshop to have you're injuries tended to; I don't want _either of you_ near him...", she then turned to Coldbore, "And take Coldbore down to the brig too" she stated before turning to head back towards the open-air hanger; "Prowl, send me the report as soon as its complete; Galloway will be on our tailpipes as soon as he hears of this and I've got to have a valid explanation in place. Anyone wants me I'll be in my office!" she stated before transforming and flying back to the Black Solstus. The four mech's looked at Prime, who simply nodded in affirmation, and as they took the two snipers away, the other bots and humans looked at each other in confusion.

"You _let her_ give the orders out just like that?" Mirage exclaimed. To his surprise Prime regarded him with a reprimanding stare, as if he were shocked to hear such an exclamation.

"Uh for those of us that have no clue, what the slag just happened Optimus?" Trailbreaker asked cautiously

"Longrange attempted to kill Thundercracker, and Coldbore refused to intervene" the Prime stated. Everyone blinked, but not quite in surprise.

"Why am I not surprised?" Bumblebee frowned as he folded his arms.

"Not my loss and I sure as slag ain't gonna lose any recharge time over it!" Kup stated as he turned to head back to the base.

"Wait a minute; how do know Thundercracker wasn't the one who attacked Longrange first?" Tracks pointed out; everyone snapped their heads round and stared at him: Thundercracker resisted the urge to scowl, and instead just looked at the mech in an unreadable gaze.

Prime frowned and stated, "Portia had been keeping an optic on Longrange for a while now, and as soon as he took off she replayed to me what was going on, as did Deathshot when he spotted them fly overhead and started stalking them from the air. Both Longrange and Coldbore approached Thundercracker first and attempted to knock him out of sky, but when that failed Longrange shot him through the wing and tried to kill him on the ground; Thundercracker managed to turn the tables and kept the sniper occupied until Deathshot intervened, before the fight had a chance to spiral completely out of control"

"I'd say it was already out of control" Portia commented offhand, but some of the bots didn't looked to be convinced.

"Why do you doubt Portia's word?" Deathshot asked Tracks. The mech hesitated, as if caught out by the question, but regardless he replied "Well? It's just-, none of us were there with you so I'm inclined to speculate on how much is true and how much is somewhat of an overreaction?"

At that, Deathshot stomped towards him, "Wait-" Prime stopped him, the sniper stood still and glared at the mech, "What do you mean by that Tracks?" Prime demanded.

"I just don't see how you can take the word of a double agent without question? How do you know she told the whole truth?" he replied; Portia glared as him with a soft hiss, but didn't move or say anything.

"I _saw _the whole thing myself! The fact Portia is a double agent has no bearing on the issue; Longrange just tried to kill Thundercracker and you're speculating on whether the incident was something else?" Deathshot exclaimed in disbelief

"Well wasn't it?" Mirage retorted

Not quite believing he just heard that, Deathshot stared at the mech somewhat flabbergasted; with his incredulousness slowly turning into outrage, he slowly paced towards him with an accusing stare: "And just _what_ _is that_ supposed to imply?" he asked in a cool but tense voice.

Huffing in frustration that he hadn't gotten his drift, Mirage placed his hands on his hip plates and explained: "Look, don't you think it's a little too _convenient _that ever since the seekers and drones defected tension in the ranks has been much higher than usual? Granted Longrange's attitude hasn't helped, neither has some of the other 9's opinions; but the point is this is _exactly_ the kind of tension a spy or double agent would take advantage of"

"Granted it's a logical observation; but Thundercracker, Skywarp and drones have been kept under close observation and have had certain restrictions placed upon them as part of the terms and conditions of their defection; there's no way they could have gotten up to anything suspicious without Red Alert or myself being aware of it before anyone else" Prowl stated.

"Considering Deception is a con's forte; I'm not convinced" Tracks folded his arms.

"He's telling the truth" Thundercracker stated, "My comm has a five mile restriction-lock, as does my frequency scrambler, and I requested to have my Decepticon ID comm-signal removed when I first came here. I don't even go within a hundred yards of the central command centre let alone Teletran-1's mainframe unless I absolutely have to"

The bots regarded him with mixed looks.

"Look guys why the slag are we even _having _this conversation?! Thundercracker and the others have already proven they're not cons anymore, why are we still rolling around in circles over this?!" Bluestreak interjected as he stepped forward, "Isn't it enough we lost Cybertron now we have to attack each other over old wounds? That's all behind us now, why can't we all just move on?" he pleaded

"I agree" Hot Rod added boldly, "This whole thing is starting to get depressing, and I for one don't like the fact that bots like _you_ are starting to set a bad example by being paranoid about it!" he pointed at Tracks, who bristled in response.

"And I don't like the fact bots like _you _can be so naive!" Eclipse scowled as she approached the group; "You'd rather place you trust in a con as appose to one of your fellow bots?" she demanded, pointing accusingly at Thundercracker.

"We _did_ place our trust in him-" Deathshot stated, "And he and the others came through for us at a time when we needed all the help we could get" he stared down at her; Bumblebee, Hot Rod, Bluestreak, Trailbreaker and some of the others voiced their agreement, much to the purple femme's astonishment. "But more importantly, I know for a fact, _without question_ that Thundercracker's a bot now" the sniper added

"And how do you know that?" she spat back

"Because in all my cycles as a sniper, he's the _only one_ I ever spared..." Deathshot shot back; at that, everyone but Prime blinked in astonishment.

"...W-When? ..." Eclipse stammered in disbelief

"When I was returning through the Tunkei system's asteroid belts" he replied.

"...It's true..." Thundercracker added frankly

Everyone glanced at one another, somewhat taken aback; but before the situation had a chance to turn into another argument, Prime stepped in and stated. "I think it's time we all returned to our posts. Deathshot, Thundercracker: Moonshine is waiting for you"

"Sir" Deathshot nodded discreetly, shooting Eclipse a harsh gaze before walking off with Thundercracker at his side.

"Eclipse, shouldn't you be getting back to work?" Prime raised an optic ridge; his niece regarded him with a frown and took off back towards the base too. The other bots all dispersed and went back to their tasks; but some, Tracks and Mirage in particular, were annoyed that this hadn't turned out as they had hoped, and were left to wonder and speculate whether this whole 'thing' was starting to make everyone naive...or if maybe, this was making them arrogant?

* * *

A little while later:

"Dude! It was intense! I mean-, you shoulda seen the look on his face when he said 'well wasn't it'?" Miles explained: "That doesn't surprise me" Jazz shook his head, "Mirage has always been a lil' 'particular' about the subject of defection in general; it ain't nothin' new kid. Prime'll probably give him a chewing out later and tell him to think better of it. I wouldn't lose yer cool over it"

"I wish I could say the same of everyone else" Seashine sighed, "This whole thing's been building up for a while now, I'm just glad Prime was there to stop anything else from happening"

"Remind me again, _what_ are you all doing in my workshop?" Moonshine frowned at the small group of bots and their human charges.

"We're here for D" Tom pointed to his guardian, who was seated in one of the strange 'dentist chair' devices, having his dents and dings smoothed out and having his paint-job retouched while Morri, Danny, Ashley and John sat on the arm-rests, helping with the repairs as best they could.

"We're here for him" Skywarp pointed to Thundercracker, who was seated in a similar device with mesh-wire dressings covering his injuries and energon lines running into his auxiliary fuel ports. At his side Hailey and her sisters were sat with Bluestreak and Novastar with Jay-jay sitting in the femme's lap.

"We're here for both of them; I need to fill out their incident statements before the day's out" Jazz pointed to his data-pad, as did Miles who held a clip-board in one hand.

"I'm just here for the energon" Seashine shrugged

"Uh? ..." Mudflap and Skid both hesitated, as did Sunstreaker and Sideswipe who were helping themselves to Moonshine's energon cocktail bar, "We were told to stay to outta trouble for the rest of the day?" Sideswipe smiled sheepishly; "Yeah, cuz with Prime still bein' ticked off an' all, we figured we better not push it" Skids added. Moonshine eyed them with a skeptical frown, before sighing in frustration, "Oh very well, but if you're going to help yourself _at least_ put some coasters down please!" she reprimanded, the four mech's nodded and went back to helping themselves to the energon while everyone got back to what they were doing.

"So?" Moonshine turned her attention back to Deathshot and Thundercracker, "It was pretty bad huh?"

"It was Longrange, what did you expect?" Deathshot huffed in frustration; the femme shot him a harsh look, and he sighed in regret. "...I'm sorry Moonshine: I guess I'm still a little riled" he pinched the bridge of his nose plates.

"A _little?_ You've been bristling ever since you got down here" Danny pointed out, "I know Longrange is a grade-A prick, but was it _really _that bad?" John asked, Deathshot heaved a heavy sigh through his vents and regarded him with an honest look, "I guess it could've been worse; but truth be told it was pretty ugly" the sniper offered.

"I'll say: you slugged him pretty hard" Thundercracker interjected, "...But you didn't have to step in you know?"

"With that injury? We both know if I'd waited another twenty minutes you'd be in a much worse shape" the sniper regarded him with a knowing look; Thundercracker knew he was right and simply nodded in agreement. "True. But even so, he didn't stand much of a chance to begin with" the seeker thought aloud.

"What'd you mean?" Miles asked

"Longrange's ego got the better of him and I used it to my advantage; I know the rookie's got a temper but I wasn't expecting him to have _that _much rage pent up inside" the seeker replied, stroking his chin plate in contemplation.

"He's always been raw when it comes to cons, current or former; there's no difference as far as he's concerned" Seashine added as she wandered over with a martini glass of yellow energon in hand, "Their all the same to him"

"Portia said he lost his family to the cons, do you think the whole thing brought up some old wounds?" Hailey cautiously asked

"If it did he has my sympathies and apology" Thundercracker deadpanned

"A nice gesture, but it'll hardly do anything to sway him. He's given everyone so much slag over the years it's now impossible to tell where his real issues start and his anger management problems ends, and even then it hardly puts what's really going on in his processor into perspective" Seashine sighed, "That's why I've been avoiding the base lately, having the opportunity to just get away from him has been a big relief; but since not many people come to the reservoir it's been pretty lonely up there"

"There's the rinse pool in the wash racks if you wanna come back?" Jazz pointed out.

"Yeah I guess" she thought aloud, "But I don't like being around all this negativity"

"Seashine sweetie, you've never liked being around _any_ form of negativity" Moonshine smiled as she worked on one of Thundercracker's dents; "You've never been one for combat either, despite being the best aquatic scout in the Division"

"So I'm a pacifist that doesn't mean I don't care" she replied, "And it's not like most of the worlds we fought on had that much water on their surface anyway; I just-, didn't think I was of much use around here is all"

"You've always been of use" the dragon femme smiled, "You're a-, what do the humans call it again? A Jack-of-all-trades? You're good at a lot of things; you just don't give yourself enough credit for trying"

"Yeah well, I don't see how I or anyone can be of a lot of good after this" she gestured to Jazz's report, "Granted Longrange's had this coming for a long time now; but what he said before? It's got people thinking"

"I know kid" Jazz nodded, "Gossip never does anyone any favors: and it's startin' to do some serious hurt around here"

"Speaking of gossip..." Ashley changed the subject, "What's with Shadowstar? She's been biting everyone's head off since she got outta stasis, even her own brothers and sisters. I was kinda wondering, what's the story behind that?" he asked tentatively. Moonshine stilled and glanced over at the hybrid slightly nonplussed, Novastar and Seashine glanced at one another in awkward uneasiness, as if reluctant to touch upon the subject.

"Um? That's a bit of a hard one sweet-spark" Moonshine replied in soft but regretful tone

"Try me" Ashley offered softly

"Well? You see, about a month before we were called to go to the Xion system; Crystalwing's sparkmate Blackjive was killed in action. Shadowstar was right there when it happened and so, well? ..." Novastar winced

"Oh..." Ashley realized

"The details as to how it all went down are a little sketchy, but basically Shadowstar blames her mother and siblings for getting him killed" Moonshine added. "Which is _so_ not true" Seashine replied, "We _know_ it wasn't theirs or anyone's fault. It was an ambush and they got caught out"

"But, Crystalwing and her kids are telepaths, how could they _not_ sense the enemy was about to spring an ambush?" Miles pointed out.

"Like I said, the details were very sketchy; Crystalwing and her younglings all had contrasting views about how the fight went down. We think the cons who ambushed them had a means of shielding their minds, maybe even throw their telepathy off somehow: it wouldn't be the first time such a technology has been deployed as a counter-measure against telepaths" Moonshine explained, "But regardless of the details, the only thing Shadowstar was vehement about was that her family had somehow betrayed her father, and that they purposely left him to fight off the cons by himself"

"And now she refuses to recognize them as her family, or even maintain the bond they share" Novastar added as she rubbed Jay-jay's tummy, making the little femme giggle.

"Well I get that family bonds can be strained under a tense issue like that but even so, can't she at least try to listen to reason? She can't possibly stay mad at them forever" Ashley offered

Frowning in confusion, Moonshine shook her head and clarified: "No no, you don't understand. Telepathic cybertronians that form family units of their own become psychically linked by their telepathy; this forms a network of 'bonds' that flows between the individual family members. They all remain individual and autonomous in their personalities and sense of self, but their minds evolve to become a sort of basic 'collective hive-mind': sharing each others thoughts, feelings and sensual data at a sub-conscious level, so their constantly aware of each others state of being and consciousness, even in their recharge"

"But when one of those minds detaches itself from the 'collective', it throws the balance of the bonds completely off; no wonder things ain't right with that family" Sunstreaker added as he sipped on his energon cocktail.

"And as a result, Crystalwing's been straining to try and maintain her family bonds as best she can. A telepath's 'hive-mind' is a delicate balance, if one mind offline's the other all falter, but if one rejects them? Well? It pretty much speaks for itself" Moonshine sighed.

"But it's not just Crystalwing and her younglings that are suffering: being separated from a family unit can do things to a telepath, and Shadowstar's temperament _could_ be a direct result of being separated from her family for so long" Deathshot pointed out

"You think?" Ashley blinked in surprise

"It wouldn't be the first time" Thundercracker interjected, "I can remember this one time Soundwave was badly injured when he took an ion-plasma shot to the back; he was in stasis-lock for over a week. But in that time his creations went completely postal on us, and even Megatron had a hard time trying to lock them up in the cells; but it was only when Soundwave onlined and reaffirmed the bonds they shared that they finally calmed down and went back to normal. Even in the Decepticons, telepaths were never underestimated"

"So? Shadowstar could be suffering some form of a mental degeneration?" Hailey blinked in surprise

"Well? Maybe not quite in the way a human would suffer a mental breakdown, but if that's the case-..." Moonshine suddenly realized what she meant, "...Oh, it won't be good..."

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mikaela asked as she gazed up at the sullen-faced medic; Ratchet suddenly realized what she said and sighed in tiredness. "I'll live; it's not the first time I've had a 'disagreeable' patient on my birth" he huffed as he cleaned his tools and put them away in their respectable storage boxes.

"Are you sure I couldn't have helped? He wouldn't have been the first dickhead I've ever had to deal with" she offered

"Thanks youngling" he offered a small weary smile, "But I didn't want you to suffer because of him; he's done enough damage for one day and I didn't want him having anymore kicks at anyone's expense...That, and if he pushed you too much I fear of what you would've done to teach him a lesson"

"Well I wouldn't have _killed_ him..." Mikaela smirked, "But still, there's more than one way to deflate a guys ego" she thought aloud with a devilish twinkle in her eye and Ratchet couldn't help but chuckle. As the two medics continued to talk, they were suddenly interrupted when they heard shouting outside the med-bay. Curious, and a little concerned: they both quietly paced over to the entrance, and peered around doors; some distance away down the corridor, they saw Shadowstar arguing with Blackmoon and Shiningstar.

"What do you mean I've been taken off the roster for security duty?!" the white and purple sphinx demanded angrily.

"Prowl doesn't think you've been keeping your optics on the job and so he felt you'd be a little more comfortable at handling the detail on inventory and maintenance" Blackmoon explained.

"Then why didn't he come down here and tell it to me himself?!" she retorted

"We're telling you now!" Shiningstar shot back, "I'd rather you lose your temper at us than with him, and risk brushing him off the wrong way!"

"Me brush _him_ off the wrong way?!" Shadowstar exclaimed in disbelief, "I have been nothing but attentive and committed in my duties and he demotes me to inventory and maintenance, all because he thinks I've not been paying attention?!"

"Look, with Longrange in the brig he doesn't want anymore friction to compromise your emotional state of mind; Portia told us about what happened in the rec-room and the last thing _you_ need is to be taking cheap-shots from that slag-head and losing your temper again!" Blackshot whipped his tail back and forth in agitation.

"And he thinks I need to be off security duty for that? There're other posts around the base that need to be kept secured, why couldn't he just put me on any one of those?!"

"I don't know, you'll have to take that up with him tomorrow" Shiningstar replied

"TOMORROW?!" Shadowstar growled "Why not today?!"

"He's in conference with Prime, Majestrix and the human military leaders; after what happened earlier their hard pressed to believe Prime is keeping everyone in line as it is; if he's lucky Longrange will get an indefinite sentence in the brig, if not-..." Blackmoon hesitated, "Well, the point is Prowl's made his decision and that's final! We asked if we could tell you and he obliged. End of story!"

"This is unfair!" Shadowstar growled

"To you it is, I think it would make for a good reprieve"

"What?!" his sister got up right in his face

"Well personally I don't think you've been paying attention to _anything_ other than making our lives _a misery!_" the black and blue dragon retorted, "Ever since we got outta stasis you've been worse than ever! Even shutting off your bond to us! Prowl could see you were 'having issues' with us so he put you on security duty cuz he thought it would help take your mind off your grieving. But after all the arguments you been having, like the one today, he realized your mind's not in the game at all, so he took you off the security roster; and frankly I don't blame him! If you'd done your job and went to stop Longrange _before_ he took off rather than run away and wallow in your own self-pity, we could've avoided this whole mess altogether!"

"Oh so this is _my_ fault is it? ..." Shadowstar sarcastically growled before striking the dragon across the face with her claws; "Listen to me you wretch: I couldn't care less if that winged slag-head rust in the pit, he got what he deserved and no one else on this base is complaining"

"That's not an excuse for not performing your duty Shadowstar!" her sister growled back, "It was on _your _watch and you neglected to stop him; this whole mess is as much your fault as it is Longrange's! ..." she calmed herself down a little, and vented sharply through her vents, "...You know he's trouble, _always has been_: and yet you keep going back to him time and time again only to be insulted and bullied. Why the slag do you keep doing this to yourself? ..." she pleaded, Shadowstar didn't reply, and simply stared at her siblings with a bitter scowl.

"Is it because of father? You don't-" But Shiningstar didn't get to finish as Shadowstar struck her hard over the face; she didn't even bother to fight back this time, she couldn't be asked to try to persuade her to listen to reason, and from what she could sense she knew her anger wouldn't allow for it. Sighing in a mix of defeat and frustration, she continued, "...This is getting tiresome; we're _all _suffering, and you are too..._please_: why won't you let us in?"

"And have you poison my mind with your lies and deceit? How stupid do think I am?" Shadowstar growled

"And since when have you ever known us to lie?" Blackmoon shot back

"Oh I can think of more than a few occasions. It's no secret you envied my skills and abilities all these cycles, and at _every turn_ you tried to make a fool of me so you could hog all the glory for yourselves!" Shadowstar stated facetiously, "Unlike you pathetic sycophants _I_ have a duty to perform and I wasn't going to climb my way up the ranks by making light of what you really are. A bunch of sick delusional fraggers who couldn't care less for anyone but themselves! Why everyone on this base shows you sympathy isn't beyond me either, being able to get into their weak-willed minds and twist them to your advantage isn't completely beyond the realm of possibility. But when I finally show them all your 'true colors', they'll put you all down faster than a lame Turbo-hound" she stated, to which Shiningstar and Blackmoon both stared at her in disbelief.

"Do you _even listen to yourself?!_" Blackmoon exclaimed, "You're even more insane than Frenzy!"

Shiningstar stepped in front of her, "Seriously Shadow you've got to let us back in! Let us-" but Shadowstar hit her again, this time so hard that she slammed into the wall and dropped to the floor in a daze; Blackmoon moved to help her but Shadowstar pounced on top of him and scruffed him by the back of his neck with her sharp claws.

"Now you listen to me to me: _both of you!_" she stated sternly, "You tell Prowl I _am_ fit to go back on security duty, and if he can't be bothered to come and see me in person I will simply talk to Prime and have this little issue amended; and if you _ever dare_ to undermine or falsely accuse me of being incompetent again, I _will_ tell Prime that you lied, and have you thrown in the brig with Longrange. Do I make myself clear?"

Neither of the siblings replied, knowing this was going to go around in circles if they continued. With a low growl, Shadowstar let her brother go and paced off down the corridor; when she was out of range, they both got back up on their feet and sighed in a mix of frustration, regret and worry. "...It's worse than I originally thought" Shiningstar thought aloud in a hushed whisper; "I know, she's gotten much worse" Blackmoon concurred

"What did Longrange say to provoke her this badly?" the blue and white sphinx worried

"Something about father, it's_ always_ something about him; he knows that's what sets her off the worst...Primus why does she keep doing this to herself?! ..." Blackmoon shook his head, "We gotta tell mother, she's gotta do something cuz I can't take this anymore!"

"Me neither" Shiningstar nodded in agreement, "I'm gonna go and find Twilightveil and Obsidian, you go and find mother, Acid and Sparkle; we need to have a family meeting" the sphinx stated before she took off down one of the corridors, Blackmoon spread his wings and took off down one of the others.

"Mikaela, do me a favor and check to make sure my schedule's clear for the rest of the day" Ratchet said offhand as he stepped back inside the med-bay, "...Call it a medic's instinct, but I've got a feeling it wouldn't hurt to keep the emergency birth free...Just in case-, 'anything else' happens today..."

"Sure thing Ratchet" Mikaela nodded

Later that afternoon:

"HEADS UP!" Ravage barked as he came at Ashley with his claws unsheathed; Ashley blocked him but didn't throw him off as far as he could.

"Focus!" the panther barked again as he came at the hybrid and hit him hard in the flank, Ashley flew across the room and slammed into the wall but he picked himself up again and charged into the fight. The sparring continued for a few more minutes, but Ravage could sense Ashley wasn't focused on the fight, so this was getting rather pointless in his opinion. With one sharp strike of his tail mace he knocked the hybrid down again and scruffed him, rendering him defenseless.

"Do you yield?" the panther growled through his teeth

"I yield" Ashley sighed unenthusiastically, and the panther let him back up and stood down, sheathing his claws and folding up the blades of his mace. John came over with an energy drink and towel and handed them to Ashley, who guzzled down the drink in less than a few gulps and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Pitiful! I used the same moves as I did the day before last and you had me beat within five minutes!" Ravage reprimanded him harshly.

"I know" Ashley huffed in a deadpan tone: he didn't have the mental strength to want to argue. Sensing this, Ravage lightened up and sighed. "...I know. I sense something has been distracting you all afternoon, care to get it off your chest plates?" he offered

Contemplating his thoughts, Ashley let them come to his voice and said: "It's just-, I've been thinking about Shadowstar"

Slightly surprised to hear the sympathy in his tone, Ravage was curious and asked, "...What about her?"

"Did you know that her dad was killed? And that she blamed her mum and brothers and sisters for it?"

"Yes I did" the panther replied, the two humans looked at him slightly nonplussed, "Obsidian was kind enough to warn me of her temper by sharing the reason for it. As complicated and emotional as it was, it wasn't any secret to be _utterly_ ashamed of. It was going to come to light sooner or later, and perhaps hearing it from Moonshine wasn't such a bad way to learn of it" he thought aloud with purr.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me" John thought aloud

"It shouldn't" Ravage regarded him with a wicked grin, "You know how I work, there's no morsel of data or gossip on this base I don't already know about. But with all the austerity flying about I've been utterly spoilt for choice" he grinned before turning serious again, "...But still, her detachment from her family has been creating some rather unsavory vibes"

"What kinda vibes?" Ashley pressed him

"Let's just say," the panther gestured for them to follow him, and together they left the training room, "If I were still a con and I was looking to recruit some new 'blood' to bolster the ranks; she would've made the top three"

"That bad?" John glanced at him in concern

"Thundercracker told you about the time Soundwave was out for a week, correct?" Ravage stated,

"Yeah?"

"Use your imagination: if Megatron had trouble trying to pin _us_ down, how do you think she'll react when _her_ mind eventually gives into the strain of being detached so aggressively?"

"...Oh" Ashley suddenly got the picture

"So is it like a psychotic break? Depression? Anxiety attack? ..." John asked

"A mix of everything: it usually depends on the nature of the detachment and whether it's mostly dictated by sadness or anger. In her instance anger: in which case it would lean more towards something equivalent to a psychotic break. A complete detachment from reality with little or no regard to the consequences of her actions, coupled with violent outbursts and major depression" Ravage explained

"But wait-, if she's psychotic why hasn't she gone on a killing spree yet?!" Ashley pointed out in a slight panic

"It's not _that kind_ of psychosis" the panther deadpanned dryly, ", At least, not in the way Hitchcock and Demme portrayed it. In humans it's a gradual process that builds up and accumulates over a period time, usually years, and often stems from some traumatic episode in childhood. Telepaths thought processes and memory patterns are much different so any emotional issues tend to follow a different set of rules. In the case of mental trauma it can be quite unpredictable, which is why the science to study it is virtually non-existent: mentally unstable telepaths have no set patterns of behavior by which they follow: their just-, _dangerously random_. And what behavior they _do_ follow can sometimes overlap periods of calm collected clarity. They can walk around perfectly fine and you'd never guess as to what was really going on inside"

"So a telepath plus one serious emotional issue equals a Molotov cocktail?"

"Pretty much" Ravage deadpanned: "But why the sympathy for her?"

"It got me thinking, cuz I remembered something you told me about some troops coming home from the front lines who were suffering from PTSD, and couldn't stand being around loud noises?" Ashley looked over at his dad.

"That's right..." he nodded, "I remember this one rookie, a really cocky little sod who came home after a six month deployment, he'd been right in the thick of things and had seen some pretty bad shit; we worried for him but once he was back with his wife and kids he looked absolutely fine. But the following night, on bonfire night; not ten seconds after they let the first fireworks off he ran inside as if someone had tossed a grenade at him. I found him hiding under the bed with his ears covered, and tears streaming down his face...I'll never forget that look in his eyes, it still haunts me to this day" he explained solemnly

"My sympathies to him: but what has it to do with Shadowstar's predicament?" Ravage asked

"It's bad enough worrying that a mortar round's gonna drop on your head at any given moment of the day or night; but to watch your own your dad die in front of you? I can't _even count_ how many ways that can seriously screw up a kid"

"That's kinda my point; when you consider the shit she's been through it's not hard to see why she takes her anger out on everyone around her. She's really hurt deep down and she can't find a way out...God knows I know what it's like to be in _that _place"

"...I can sense..." the panther sighed, "And it's not going to get better. With her counter-telepathy blocking her mind I can't even tell _where_ she is let alone what's going on in her psyche. But one thing's for sure, the more she denies it the more she risks losing herself to her growing depression"

"How sentimental..." Shadowstar sarcastically stated. John and Ashley nearly jumped out of their skin/armor as they whirled around to see the sphinx femme standing behind them several meters away; Ravage though, casually turned around and met her cold bitter scowl with an unreadable poker face. "Here I am looking for a place to hide when I come across you three cretins gossiping about me; that's not nice you know" she added as she slowly paced towards them.

"We weren't gossiping, we were just-, having a casual conversation is all!" Ashley swallowed hard as he tried to stand his ground

"Uh-huh? Yeah; like I'm going to believe _you _..." she sarcastically drolled,

"Believe whatever you want, we bare no ill-will towards you" Ravage stated casually, though he couldn't sense what she was thinking in particular, her emotions were crackling and burning like flames, her anger and hatred was making her unfocused, and frying her reason at the edges; all at once his instincts screamed this could get very dangerous.

"You? Soundwave's lackey: baring no ill-will towards me?" Shadowstar stalked towards him, "That's a new one, though not the best lie I ever heard...But I'm more curious about your notion of my supposed 'mental state', care to enlighten me on that?"

"You've been behind us since we left the training room; you heard plenty" Ravage pointed out.

"Not everything" she stated

"Listen, if you're looking for another argument, your fresh outta luck here luv" Ashley stepped in, "Why don't you take a time out and go beat up one of the punching bags in the training room instead?" he tried to offer. Incredulous that he would speak out of turn to _her_, she turned to him with a stern harsh look in her optics; and noticed the other human standing at his side. The older human's pungent scent was disgusting to her sensitive olfactory sensors, but she could clearly make out the similarities that he shared with this techno-organic freak, the kinds of similarities that only a creator and its offspring would have in common...

With a critical, almost accusing stare, she studied John up and down, and grimaced as if offended by his very form. The Sergeant's instincts were now warning him to stay sharp, and reminded him of the gun he had stashed in his holster.

"'This' is your creator?" she sniffed him,

Ashley frowned, but resisted the urge to bite back with a, 'do you have a problem with that?', and instead simply replied "Yes".

"Bit scrawny by your standards am I?" John raised an eyebrow, taking the insult in his stride.

"Scrawny is an _understatement_" she grimaced in disgust, "How you under-evolved under-developed flesh bags made it this far into evolution is beyond me; and why our 'great and noble' leader thinks its right to regard you as our 'equals' is even _further_ beyond incredible" she stated as she circled around him, "What makes you think your qualified to be on our level huh?"

"I once killed two pretenders with my bare hands, and helped your 'great and noble leader' and his forces fight off an army of nanite-based human-cybertronian hybrid zombies" John stated boldly; Shadowstar stilled, while Ashley and Ravage simply smirked at seeing her (mildly) surprised.

"Prove it" she demanded

"You're a telepath, why don't you take a peek inside my head and see for yourself?" he smirked

"Don't insult me. You're thoughts are barely sentient as it is, I'd be wasting time reading such flimsy mental constructs" She retorted, John frowned in bemusement, but Ravage pricked an ear in curiosity

"'Flimsy mental constructs'" Ashley frowned in annoyance, "Is that supposed to be telepathy-talk for 'you're lying'?"

"Well I can hardly expect either of you to be honest, since you both like to keep company with Decepticons" She scowled at Ravage.

"Okay, if you're gonna be going off on _that_ band-wagon, we're outta here" John sighed as he rolled his eyes and walked off with Ashley and Ravage at his sides; But Shadowstar galloped in front and blocked their way.

"Look, we're not in the mood-" Ashley growled as he was about to get started. But before he had a chance to say anything else, Crystalwing came striding down the corridor with Obsidian and Twilightveil right behind her, and Acidwing, Blackmoon, Shiningstar and Sparklestar trotting alongside.

"Finally!" Shiningstar huffed as she trotted right up to her elder sister, who bared her teeth and arched her back with a threatening hiss; "I _told _you to leave me alone already!" Shadowstar growled

"Not an option, we're doing this whether you like it or not!" Shiningstar stated sternly

"Doing what?" Ashley asked

"This is an intervention!"Sparklestar growled as she arched her back

"Yeah, I can see that," John gazed up and around at the family as they stared down at Shadowstar with a mix of reprimanding and hurt stares; "But an intervention to what?"

"To get her to open up her bond to us" Obsidian stated

"As if I give a frag!" the white and purple sphinx spat, "These cretins won't leave me alone!"

"Damn right! And we won't stop 'till you open your end of the bond again!" Sparklestar hissed

"You've dragged this out long enough and we've had enough!" Blackmoon stated angrily

"Okay, don't think it might be an idea to take this to your quarters?" Ashley suggested, holding up his hands in a non-threatening gesture.

"We _would_ if she'd let us!" Shiningstar deliberately started at her sister accusingly

"I don't _need_ any help and I don't _wan_t any help, so FRAG OFF!" Shadowstar roared as she turned to walk off, but Shiningstar blocked her path, trapping John, Ashley and Ravage between her and the rest of her family.

"Your temperament has strained our bond long enough: we know you're in as much pain and stress as we are, we just want to help you" Obsidian pleaded

"And I told you I don't want _any_ of you in my mind!" Shadowstar retorted angrily

"You have to open up to us Shadowstar, this is becoming a serious problem and even _you_ are starting to suffer from it" Crystalwing stated vehemently.

"The only thing I'm suffering from is your constant begging and pleading! All you want is to get in my head and take away the only memories I have of _him!_" the sphinx hissed, "All you want is to numb your own pain, but what about mine?! You took him away and you're not even sorry! None of you are!"

"_How can you say that?!_ There's not a cycle that passes I don't forgive myself for what happened that day! I wish I could turn back time and undo the past but I can't!" Crystalwing sobbed as she broke into tears, her elder son and daughter were quick to lay their hands on her shoulders in reassurance, and send their support and love down their bond to her, as did Acidwing, Blackmoon, Shiningstar and Sparklestar. "All we can do is be there for each other and move on, we can't dwell in the past forever Shadowstar" she sighed woefully.

"That feeble excuse won't work on me! And nor will any of the other pitiful lies you've tried to fob me off with!" her daughter spat

"Why do you twist our words little sister?" Obsidian pleaded desperately, "All we want is to help you and each other, why would we seek to bring more turmoil to this already painful burden?" he tried to reason, but Shadowstar didn't reply.

Between the tense emotions of the family and Shadowstar's own irrational anger growing by the second, John, Ravage and Ashley felt like they were stuck between a rock and a hard place; without trying to draw attention, they tried to quietly slip out of sight. But then Acidwing paced forward and unknowingly blocked the widest escape route they had. "Look, will you just listen to reason and heed what we're saying!" Acidwing growled, "Mother's getting tired of this and everyday you deny her she gets worse!"

"Good" the sphinx scowled up at her mother, "You can _rust in the pit _for all I care, if you were _a real_ mother, it would've been_ you_ that took point into the mine that day, _not him!_ You _knew_ they were there but you still let him go in front of you!"

"You take that back!" Acidwing spat

"No!"

"TAKE IT BACK!"

"NO!"

Before anyone could stop him Acidwing charged at his sister and attacked her in an enraged frenzy; the sphinx and dragon fought brutally as the other family members tried to pry them apart. Suddenly and without warning, a single gunshot rang out and echoed down the corridor, making everyone stop in their tracks as they looked up and saw the Sergeant standing with his Browning L9A1 pistol raised above his head, the muzzle still smoking.

"This is _not_ the place to settle family disputes, and it sure as hell ain't safe to throw it down when there're humans under foot!" he shouted, "If you wanna continue this, take it into the training room or your quarters, or better yet, take it to Prime and have him sort you all out!" he added

'_Aw hell, this is some serious Jerry Springer shit right here!'_ Ashley thought in a mix of alarm and disbelief. Staring at him in incredulousness, Shadowstar got up and paced over to the hybrid with an enraged scowl: "_What the frag did you mean by that!_" she growled as she got right in his face. Suddenly realizing she 'heard' his thoughts, Ashley didn't know what to say as his nervousness got the better of him and began to back up, "I-, uh? I didn't mean-, no I what I mean is-, I just-"

"What're you talking about? He didn't say any-" John protested, _'She overheard his thoughts'_ He heard Ravage voice echo through the front of his mind, "Oh".

"And I can overhear _yours_ too!" Shadowstar turned her attention to the panther, "I should've known. You called them down here didn't you!" she hissed

"If you can sense _his_ thoughts you would've sensed me reaching out to them" he gestured to Ashley

"DON'T LIE TO ME CON!" she spat as she struck him across the face, "You told them to try and get into my head, but I won't let you!"

"Okay, you seriously need to step off and have a time out luv!" Ashley growled as he stood up on his hind legs and put his hands on his hips.

"And you seriously need to learn some respect _freak!_" she growled as she unsheathed her claws and attacked him. She tried to throw him down but Ravage pounced onto her back and sunk his teeth into her hip, eliciting a fierce screech of pain from the femme, who promptly turned her furry on him as she twisted around and kicked him off; allowing Ashley to get up and retreat to a safer distance with his father close behind. As her siblings and mother (unsuccessfully) shouted at her to stop and tried to pull her off, Shadowstar fought hard and savagely as she tried to take the panther drone down, But Ravage wasn't so easy to defeat, he was well accustom to this kind of brutality and knew it like the back of his paws: unlike him her focus was way off, and so he was able to block and throw off all her attacks; but looks were deceptive, and although she wasn't as big as him she had some real power packed into her form, and her tail was blade was particularly nasty as she tried to strike him.

"Bloody hell! This is getting outta hand!" Ashley gasped, "No kidding!" John concurred as he instinctively moved to stand in front of his son.

It had barely been forty seconds and already the fight was getting way out of hand, with every second that past Ravage and the others could sense Shadowstar's anger was now at the point nothing and no one else could get through to her, and all she cared about was making him bleed. Bleeding was no concern to him, he'd bled plenty of times before and could still carry on a fight while practically running on empty, but if her attention was to divert to someone else, like John, who had no armor to offer any protection, then it would be deadly. Deciding to end this before it got to that stage, Ravage went on the offense hard, and didn't spare a single tooth or claw as he tried to beat the femme into submission; her anger kept pushing her to go on, but every bone-shattering hit, kick, strike waned her strength that little bit more, but it was hard to go all-out when her siblings were contently trying to pounce on her and pin her down.

Deciding to end this too, John gripped his pistol in both hands and tried to aim for her flank, a shot to the hips would cripple her without causing any major internal damages; but as he took a few steps closer to get a better shot, Sparklestar suddenly spotted the gun and gasped, "You're gonna shoot her?!"

Looking up and spying the gun, Shadowstar struck Ravage across the face and charged straight at the Sergeant. "NO!" Ashley growled as he picked his father up and threw him to one side as the sphinx knocked him down; as she picked herself and tried to charge at John again, Ashley grabbed one of her hind legs and threw against the wall with such force that the metal plating dented, with one panel falling out of place; "You leave my dad alone!" the hybrid growled as he tried to pin her down, but Shadowstar beat him to it and in one quick turn she pinned him to the floor hard.

"You don't know what it's like to lose a father don't you?" she growled, "Why don't you find out first hand!" she leapt up and made another charge at his father, this time with her tail blade raised and ready to strike. But Ravage came in from the side and tackled her by the hind leg with his jaws, this time with such strength that some of the armor plating on her hips and thigh was ripped off, but that didn't stop her as she broke free and came within mere inches of John before Ashley jumped her from behind and tackled her. But their momentum didn't let them stop, and all three crashed into the Sergeant in one huge heap and skidded across the floor; but everything and everyone suddenly stopped as John yelled out in agony...

Everyone held their breaths and stared in dread as the human panted in pain; but then he looked down, and saw a glowing red liquid pooling around them.

"D-Dad-" Ashley stammered weakly, his breath short and quick, "I-I think...I..."

John immediately pulled himself out from under a dazed Shadowstar and with one huge heave, pushed the femme off Ashley-

"-Oh Primus! ..." Crystalwing gasped in horror when she saw her daughter's tail blade embedded deep in Ashley's side; glowing red hemogon slowly leaked out of the wound and out of his mouth as he tried to move. Without hesitation Ravage snapped the blade off Shadowstar's tail; howling in pain she turned to try and strike him, but he knocked her down again with one hard blow.

"D-Dad, I-I don't feel g-good..." Ashley stammered in pain as he looked up his father, who was starting to panic himself; "Don't try to talk son, you're gonna be okay..." he tried to reassure him before snapping his head up to Crystalwing: "GET RATCHET DOWN HERE NOW!" he barked, "I'll run him up there, It'll be faster!" the giant femme replied as she got down on her knees and delicately maneuvered the hybrid into her open palm, John scrambled up next to Ashley's side before she got back up and ran down the corridor, being mindful not to bounce him around too much, while Obsidian and Twilightveil stayed on her heels, calling Ratchet over the comm and relaying what just happened.

As she watched them disappear out of sight, Shadowstar sighed and picked herself up; "...That's one less meat sack to worry about" she sneered offhand. Within warning, Ravage leapt to his feet and in one flawless move he scruffed her hard, and with one powerful bite and a twist of the head, he snapped her spinal unit. She instantly went limp and fell to the floor paralyzed, her optics darted about and her anger was quickly replaced with panic as she found she couldn't move or speak; her siblings stared in alarm, and worry as they could sense her rising panic, and Ravage's merciless unforgiving wrath; reacting on instinct they all submissively crouched down as he sniffed her over, not wanting to provoke him any further.

Sparklestar stared at him in dread as blue energon tears welled up in her optics, "Is-...Is she-"

"-She's not dead, nor will she die" Ravage growled in a low calm tone as he turned to leave, "A clean break, easily reparable: but I suggest you get her seen to right away if you ever want to see her walk again,"

"Wha-, what's that? That's no energon I've ever seen" Shiningstar pointed to the glowing red liquid.

Looking down at the hemogon, Ravage regarded her with an unreadable expression, and simply sighed, "...I'll explain later, for now, take care of her". He walked a few paces before looking back over his shoulder and adding: "Oh and one other thing..."his voice turned sinister, "...If he dies, I'm coming back to finish her off" and with that he ran off. The siblings looked at each other in dread, and in a dazed stupor of confusion, tried to make sense of what just happened...

"Shadow, what have you done?" Shiningstar sobbed as tears ran down her face.

* * *

I confess, I can be a real meanie at times, & it ain't gonna get any better :( more drama, more hurt, basically, a real shit load of bad luck still to come.

Please let me know what you think, & have a great New Year's eve! Love to you all dearies!


	6. Chpt 5: Consequence

Hey there! Update time again, and things aren't rosy, especially for Shadowstar :( read on & enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 5: Consequence 

"HEEEY!-" Hailey called down the corridor as she, Becky, Becca and Bluestreak came running up to the med-bay where Bumblebee, Jazz, Trailbreaker, Darren, Sam, Will, Epps, Miles and Glen were waiting anxious. "-I just heard what happened! Is he okay?!" she panted, trying to catch her breath.

"He's still in surgery, we haven't heard anything new" was all Trailbreaker could offer.

"Did Shadowstar really tried to kill him?!" the twined exclaimed

"From what Crystalwing told us she was aiming for his dad, but he blocked her attack at the last possible second" Jazz offered in a solemn voice, the three sisters and their guardian glanced at one another in shock, "But-, he _is _okay right?" Bluestreak pleadingly demanded.

"I don't know Blue-" Jazz placed a hand on his shoulder, "We're just gonna have to wait until-"

"Hey-" Darren pointed to the med-bay doors as they opened up and Ratchet and Perceptor both strode out, they looked tired and worn, but not completely spent as a glimmer of optimism seemed to be present in their optics.

"Hey Doc bot" Jazz greeted them, "How is he?"

Ratchet stilled a moment, before drawing in breath and sighing heavily: "...He's stable but he's not out of trouble just yet. He lost a lot of blood and the force of the impact damaged some soft tissues and cracked his ribs badly; I've set him in a body-brace and hooked him up to life-support, but right now it's fifty-fifty and we don't know which way he's going to swing"

Everyone glanced at each other in alarm, "You mean he might-"

"-I'm _saying_ we don't know for sure; we've done all we possibly can, the rest is up to him now" Ratchet added solemnly

"...Can we see him? ..." Becca asked, the medic and scientist looked at each other and sighed. "...When I say visiting hours are over, I want no arguments okay?" he warned, to which no one disagreed. "Okay, he's in recovery" Ratchet stepped aside and pointed to the door at the end of the corridor; the bots and humans quietly strode in, and entered the ward discreetly. At the far end of the room, lying unconscious and hooked up to a heart monitor, ventilator, IV and some other kind of cybertronian device, Ashley was as pale and still as a corpse; his bandaged chest slowly rising and falling was the only indicator of there being any life within him, aside from that, he was well and truly out of it. At his side his father, along with Morri, Tom, Danny and Deathshot were sat as close to the birth as they could get, while on the next birth along Ravage sat with his wound's bandaged and welded, and his brother's sitting close by and keeping a watchful optic. As they tentatively approached, the Briggs family wearily pulled themselves together and stretched the aches and stiffness out of their joints. "Hey guys" Tom yawned as he stretched his arms out above his head, "Hey..." Sam greeted with a nervous wave, "We would'a bought you some flowers and grapes, but Ratchet still hasn't taken the hint that he could use a gift shop at the entrance" he joked.

"Heh-" Morri chuckled weakly, "Hard-cheese, but thanks anyway"

"So?..." Bumblebee looked around at the various life-support devices, "Will he be okay?"

"He'll be fine" John stated in an unreadable tone

"But, Ratchet said he-"

"Ratchet's just being professional" John corrected, "But he's my son, and he'll be fine; I know it"

Thinking he was still in a state of emotional stress, no one said anything otherwise and simply nodded in agreement. "Of course he will" Bluestreak smiled. As the bots and humans gathered round to be filled in on the details; Jazz quietly slipped away to one side and approached Ravage on the next birth.

"_Is_ he gonna be okay?" he asked the panther in a hushed voice.

"His father's instincts are right on the mark. His will is strong: even through the blurred haze of the anesthetic I can sense him pushing his way back to us" Ravage whispered, trying not to draw the others attention.

"What happened down there?" the first lieutenant pressed him

"Crystalwing is talking with Prime about that as we speak, he'll fill you in on the details when he's done" Lazerbeak replied

"Brother here relayed the whole event as he fought, and shared with us his 'impressions' of her 'condition'" Rumble whispered as he hugged Ravage's neck. "I know what you heard, but it's much more complicated than you think" Ravage added, "Complicated how?" the first lieutenant frowned, Ravage gestured for him to lean in closer, and as the panther whispered into his audio's the events of the last few hours, outside the med-bay Moonshine came strolling along with Twilightveil, Portia, and Novastar in tow; only to find their way bared by Ratchet, "I'm sorry but you'll have to wait until the first lot of visitors are gone, I don't want the recovery ward becoming too crowded!" he stated firmly.

"That's okay" Twilightveil sighed wearily, "I sense he's not conscious yet anyway, can we wait here a while, until he does?"

"He only just got out of surgery, but be my guests..." Ratchet offered, "...Are you okay? You look awful" he noted as he looked Twilightveil up and down, and saw she was somewhat out of sorts: her plumage looked slightly scruffy and out of place, her optics were dull and not as radiant as they usually were, and she looked as tired and worn out as he did.

"I'm just-, tired, I'll be alright really..." she sighed, waving him off.

"We just got back from the Black Solstus, Mikaela said she'll be along as soon as she's cleaned up" Portia added

"How's Shadowstar?" Perceptor asked.

"She'll live; it was a clean snap to the spinal unit with minimum internal energon loss; she should be okay by tomorrow...physically at least..."

Ratchet dropped his gaze in weary disappointment, "So she has isolated her bond" he though aloud.

"She refuses to let any of us near her" Twilightveil sighed woefully, "We've been trying to get through to her for the past few hours but she's still shutting our minds out. Even when Ravage snapped her neck and she panicked she _still_ didn't call out to us. I've never sensed such resistance before, and with such _anger_" she pressed her hand to her sore helm. Ratchet gently took her by the arm and lead her into the med-bay, sitting her down on one of the chairs; "Sit here a minute while I go and get you a cube of energon, and something for your processor" he stated as he went into one of the other rooms.

"No really, I'll be-"

"Medics orders! No arguments!" he stated; sensing his stubbornness, she knew she wouldn't be able to persuade him otherwise.

"You're tired and need to rest, I can take care of things here" Portia offered

"She's right, you need to get your strength back" Moonshine added

"I'll be alright as soon as I have some energon in me; besides, with mother stressed out and Shadowstar's own state of mind in trouble I can't afford to rest; I need to be conscious in case she _does_ try to reach out to us" Twilightveil replied

"You should be at her birth-side reaching out to her now!" Eclipse frowned as she strode into the med-bay, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Waiting for Ashley to come round so I can apologize on Shadowstar's behalf" Twilightveil stated, "What are you doing here?" Portia raised an optic ridge

"I'm here to take Ravage down to the brig"

"What?!"

"You can't be serious!"

"Eclipse, I was there and saw the whole thing, Shadowstar was the one who started the fight when she tried to attack Ashley: Ravage merely moved in to defend him and his father" Twilightveil stated adamantly.

"And in the process he snapped her spinal unit! That's a clear indication of malicious intent. I'm sorry but we can't have a rouge con loose on the base" Eclipse pointed out. With a look of absolute annoyance, Moonshine hooked her tail around her elder sister's arm and marched her out of the med-bay.

"This is _not_ the time or place for an arrest! Ashley is in there fighting for his life and you barging in there to arrest his best friend isn't going to help!" Moonshine hissed as she glared Eclipse in the optic.

"Well what do you suggest I do then? He openly attacked Shadowstar" Eclipse retorted

"And you know that for a fact?"

"I just finished viewing the security camera feeds from that level of the base, I _know_ what happened"

"Then you know it was Shadowstar that started the fight!" Moonshine fumed

Dropping her gaze Eclipse stilled for a quick second, reluctant to admit the truth; "...Technically yes, she did start the fight; but the con's involvement in the matter wasn't warranted" she added sternly.

"That's beside the point!" Moonshine retorted stubbornly, "Ravage had nothing to do with this and you slaggin' well know it! Twilightveil is the most powerful telepath known to date, her own abilities surpasses even her mother's. If she sensed the defectors were up to no good she would've warned us beforehand!"

Again, Eclipse was reluctant to admit she was right, and didn't reply; seeing the stubbornness in her optics, Moonshine facepalmed in annoyance, "Agh! What is it going to take for you to realize the defectors aren't cons anymore! Among other things!" She exclaimed angrily, "For Primus sake! First Longrange and Coldbore and now Shadowstar, how many times to we have to roll around in circles before we have to admit things are different now?!"

Enraged, Eclipse gasped and retorted "What the frag makes you think things have changed?! Just because the wars over, doesn't mean-"

"-Oh WILL YOU SHUT UP!-" Moonshine snapped, "_This has got to stop!_ Can't you see what this is doing to everyone?! Its one thing to be wary of those who _were _your enemy, but to be paranoid and spread false rumors about them is one step too far! And _don't you dare lie to me_ that you haven't said anything! _I know_ what you get up to in your spare time, making 'small talk' with the likes of Mirage and Tracks, and all the others who don't want them here: that's not what our uncle wants!"

"Prime would _never_ have allowed cons to defect to our side back in the day! He's getting way too soft in his old age"

"Not so old he can't mop the floor with you if he wanted to-" Moonshine shot back, "And _who are you_ to say the Autobot's aren't above mercy? How can we uphold the principle of the prime directive when we're not even willing to follow it in the first place? Whether we like it or not, we _have_ to stay true to what Optimus decreed the day Iacon fell, otherwise all those who perished throughout the war will have died for nothing!"

"Funny: I don't recall you being sympathetic to our Uncle's philosophy?"

"That was then, this is now! For Primus sake Eclipse I just found out over a week ago that we'll never see Cybertron again; what's the point in staying angry anymore? What good does it do us all now?"

Eclipse didn't reply, and as an awkward moment of silence passed between them, Moonshine calmed down a little, and sighed in weary tone: "...Besides, why haven't you tried talking to Shadowstar yet?"

Eclipse blinked in confusion, "...Why?"

"You-, _we_ of all people know what it's like to lose a father, why haven't _you_ tried to help her? Novastar and I tried our luck getting through to her"

Eclipse hesitated, unsure of herself: "I-...The circumstances of her creator's death was different to ours"

"But the pain is the same; and every day that's passed since _that day_, she's not been able to let go..." Moonshine's optic's softened, "... Just like we didn't want to let go when mother said father wouldn't be joining us on the escape pod..."

The memory of said event made Eclipse's stubborn line of thought stop in its tracks, and deep down inside something began to hurt; but she didn't want to believe it could be true, to acknowledge that things are different now, and no amount of trying to say otherwise would make it so. This was an illogical line of thought, and illogic wasn't what she dealt in: but even so, she didn't dare want to take the chance and risk hoping that her uncle's passive philosophy could be a better way forward. The future was always uncertain and it carried no guarantees no matter how well you plan for any and all eventualities; so how could he be so confident? To have hope in even the slimmest odds?, it confounded and annoyed her to no end, and perhaps that's why she always found herself wanting to disagree with him all the time: not because he didn't make logical sense, but because she couldn't stand to see him take a chance on someone or something that had no guarantee of pulling through, or living up to his expectations. Call it a lack of faith or whatever you want, she just wasn't comfortable taking chances, even if they were well-calculated ones. For a brief moment something akin to regret flickered in Eclipse's optics before her poker face hid her thoughts away, and she regarded her younger sister with an unreadable look.

"...Even if I could help its out of my hands now; Shadowstar refuses to talk to anyone...and even if she wanted to listen, I wouldn't know what to say?" Eclipse thought aloud, being mindful to keep her more emotional opinions silent.

"You rarely do..." Moonshine sighed, feeling as if her words had been dejected, "Affairs of the spark have never been your strong suit...you never allow anyone to get close"

Eclipse sighed, folded her arms and slowly paced off.

"...It's one thing not to have any friends, but to not want to be with your family? You were never always like that... What changed?" Moonshine pleaded

"...Everything..." Eclipse sighed, "...Tell Ravage to report to the brig as soon as he's fit to leave the med-bay" she added before she disappeared around the corner of the corridor; as Moonshine rubbed her forehead, Portia discreetly slipped out from where she'd been listening on the other side of the med-bay doors.

"...We'll be fine here, if you want to-"

"-Oh-, no I'll be alright really" Moonshine was quick to reassure her, before a sad look overcame her fair face, "...Why does she always have to push everyone away?"

"She's always been cautious" Portia softly replied

"Yeah I know but-, _I'm _her sister, Nova's her sister; if she refuses to talk to mother she can at least come to us with her troubles. That's part of what being a sister's all about: why does she think she's got to take every burden by herself? I mean-, I know why, but _why?_"

"Who's anyone to know or presume what goes on in each others heads or hearts?" John interrupted as he and Morri stepped out of the med-bay, "And the thing is, even if they tell you, sometimes it's not always something you can sort out easy-peasy"

"You know? You could be a pro eves-dropper" Portia smirked

"On a base this size with guys as big as you, it's not that hard" Morri offered, "Please forgive the interruption but we need to have a word"

"Of course: what about?" Moonshine replied

"I need to see Shadowstar, I need to talk to her" John stated, the femmes blinked in surprise but the human was quick to stop them before they could protest or try persuade him otherwise; "-Please, hear me out. I know what happened downstairs was pretty intense, and understandably I have every right to be angry at Shadowstar for she did. But I saw firsthand the state of mind she was in, and she wasn't totally in control of herself"

"True" Portia nodded

"This telepathic 'bond' she shared with her family, if she's able to open up to them and 're-connect' again, would her state of mind begin to turn back to normal?" he asked; glancing at each other, the two femmes realized this human was well aware of what was at hand, and with a unsure sigh Portia explained, "...If she were to open her mind to her family again, it _is_ possible she can return to a state of relative normality. But the recovery process would be lengthy and require a lot of one-on-one guidance, it would take time but it's not impossible"

"But even if you try talking to her she won't listen" Moonshine insisted

"But what will she say if I forgive her? ..." John asked; the two femmes stared at him in a mix of confusion and surprise, unsure how to reply. "...Look there's a difference between losing your temper with someone and losing your mind to depression and grief. When our emotions get the better of us we can't truly think straight, and that's when we can do things we regret. Shadowstar's not evil, she's just-, got a lot of issues she doesn't know how to work through..."

"That's-, very understanding of you" Portia thought aloud

"But what about Ashley?" Moonshine asked in concern

"He'll be okay, Deathshot's keeping an eye on him; can Shadowstar receive visitors yet?" John asked

"I guess? She not unconscious, but I wouldn't hold your air intakes..." Moonshine nodded as she bent down and offered her hands to the two humans, who both climbed on with grateful thanks. A fast-paced five minute journey soon brought them to the Black Solstus, and the ships med-bay. Mikaela was just leaving as the dragon-femme entered the room, and guided their attention to the still form of Shadowstar lying on one of the births with her back to the door. The back of her neck and part of her leg was covered in mesh wire dressings while an energon drip was hooked up to one of her auxiliary fuel ports. As Moonshine quietly approached she kept the humans safely in her hands, but John signaled for her to put him down on the birth; she was about to protest but the look in his eyes told her he wasn't going to debate it, and so she reluctantly put him down behind the sphinx, and circled around the birth until she caught the young femme's optic and greeted her with an uneasy smile.

But Shadowstar didn't return the gesture, and Morri wasn't surprised; the look on her face plates was something she could only describe as 'burnt out': that worn out, exhausted, utterly spent look that one only gets from the aftermath an all-out rage. When that sense of mental numbness sets in and dulls the emotions: and physical exhaustion brings a sense of tired relief; but her optics told her that deep down she was still in a frayed state, and still raw with anger. At this point Morri didn't know if this would yield anything or not (and in the back of her mind she was nervous about how this would go down), but she had faith in her uncle and so didn't say a word as the sphinx watched her and Moonshine; unaware of John who was squatting down behind her.

"...I told you to leave me alone..." Shadowstar strained in a low hoarse voice, sounding as tired and exhausted as she looked.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but someone wanted to see you" Moonshine offered

"I don't want that _thing_ near me" the sphinx sneered as she gazed up at Morri.

"Not her" John replied, "me". Completely surprised to hear it was him, Shadowstar struggled to try and roll over, but her neck was still sore and rigidly uncomfortable; so John obligingly stepped around and kneeled down next to her head so she could see him. The young femme was even more dismayed by the fact he wasn't angry or upset in anyway, but simply gazed down at her.

"I know this is a pretty stupid question, but how're you feeling?" he asked gently

"How do you think?" she growled

"I know, but it just feels wrong not to ask. I guess it comes from thinking that if you didn't ask, people would think you didn't care" he mused allowed

"Why do _you_ care?" she growled

"Because deep down, I don't think you're bad: or malicious"

"Really? Then what's your prerogative?"

"I think your hurt, and you can't let it go, because you don't _want _to let go..." the human replied softly. Shadowstar stilled as she stared at him in an unreadable gaze; thinking he was onto something, John tentatively continued as he backed up a little and sat down on the birth.

"...Sometimes, when we miss someone we truly cared for, we come to believe that letting them go means we don't care anymore, or that we're insulting their memory by moving on. It's a terrible position to be in, and I can tell you I've seen enough people destroy themselves because of it..."

Shadowstar didn't reply.

"Your dad, what was he like? ..." John asked. That seemed to throw Shadowstar off completely; of all the things she had been expecting him to say she hadn't anticipated _that_ question. In a single moment something seemed to change, and the whole scenario she _thought_ was going to play out, had now gone in an entirely new direction; one she hadn't anticipated (and for the spark of her couldn't understand why?), and as she stammered in trying to reply, for the first time in a long while she tried to gather her scattered thoughts together, "Wh-what?" she frowned in confusion.

"What was he like, as a person I mean; I'm thinking you both must have been pretty close" John added,

Shadowstar stilled again: unsure, she tried to push the haze of the past few hours aside as she tried to think. "I-...He was-..." she tried to put her memories into words, but her dazed psyche was still numb, and trying to recall any memories, happy of otherwise, was like trying to swim across a sea of molten steel: it was hard, and she just didn't have the mental strength to think straight, "...He was always there for me" was all she could offer as she stared off into space.

"Did you used to do anything together?"

"...Training...mostly..."

"What about in your spare time?"

"...He'd tell stories: about Cybertron mostly, back before the war..."

"And what about you're mum and your brothers and sisters? Was there anything you used to all do together?"

Shadowstar hesitated a little, as if fretful yet seething to answer; the mention of her mother sparked a pang of resentment which went away as soon as it had risen, and in her still-dazed mind her thoughts turned back to a simpler, more happy time in her life. And after a moment she replied, "...Sometimes, when we'd find a planet or moon that wasn't inhabited; we'd used to go down to the surface and go exploring the terrain, or go flying together...he used to love that..." she frowned again, "Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I don't think your dad would want to see you like this..." John solemnly stated. In an instant, those fourteen syllables struck Shadowstar like a blow to the spark chamber, and all at once her mind and emotions stopped spinning, suspended in the moment like a fly in amber, the gravity of those words bared down hard on her spark...of all the things that had been said concerning her father since his passing, no one had ever said _that_, why? Who could say? Would it have been too painful? Impertinent? Too personal for her to confront?

Whatever the reason, it didn't matter now and she didn't care, and listened as the human continued, "...I know you miss him, and I know the hole that's been left in your heart has felt terrible every day... That kinda hole never completely heals no matter how much time passes, there're good days when it'll be numb and you can get on with things, and there will be bad days when the pain comes back to hurt; but you _can't_ take out your emotions on everyone around you: _especially _not your family... If your dad loved you so much he wouldn't want you to suffer like this, and he certainly wouldn't want you to think that you have to be miserable for the rest of your life just because he can't be there anymore...Don't remember him for how he died, remember him for how he lived: and the life he shared with you; because at the end of the day when all is said and done, looking back on the good times is much easier, and better than looking back on how they came to an end" he explained

For the first time, Shadowstar didn't know what to say; she stared at him, dazed as her mind spun one turn too fast with a whole mix of emotions suddenly bubbling up from the back of her mind and spilled over in a cascade of grief and regret. All at once all the hurt she's been pushing down for so long was now ready come out, and no matter how much she tried to fight it back, she found she couldn't fight any longer, and in an instant she inhaled sharply through her vents and tried to curl up as she broke down in a fit of sobs with energon tears streaming down her face.

With a soft warm smile John leaned over and gently stroked her shoulder, "It's okay luv"

"Oh sweetie-spark..." Moonshine gently cupped the sphinx with her one free hand, "its okay to cry, you don't have to keep it all pent up anymore" she cooed softly.

"Do you want me to go an' get your mum?" John asked

"My mother? ..." Shadowstar sobbed as she looked back up at him, "I think-..." She stopped as her face fell into a flat emotionless expression and her tears stopped and dried up; for about a tenth of a second John noticed her left optic flashed yellow before turning blue again: curious, but it must have been a glitch in her CPU or something.

"...I think I'd like to be alone for while please" she stated in a flat voice; taken aback by her emotionless tone, the two humans and dragon femme were even more dismayed to see all the sadness and outpouring of grief was suddenly gone, and in its place was...nothing.

Shadowstar looked up at the Briggs elder with no particular regard, and simply laid her head back down on the birth: making it clear she didn't want to talk anymore.

"...O-okay sweetie, we'll see you later..." Moonshine softly replied as she picked John up and quietly left the med-bay; once the door was shut and they were far enough down the corridor that Shadowstar couldn't hear them, Moonshine placed the two humans on top of one of the computer terminals and took a moment to wrap her processor around what just happened.

"Okay, what the slag just happened?!" she hissed, trying to keep her voice down.

"I know, one minute we had a break-through and then-, what?" Morri thought aloud as she stared off into space, her mind spinning as she tried to make sense of the last few minutes.

"That didn't make any sense" John frowned in confusion

"I'll say! I'm no therapist but something was way off back there!" Moonshine concurred, "You don't just 'switch off' when you're in the middle of something like that!"

"I don't know what happened, but you _did_ get through to her; maybe she can be helped after all?" Morri offered: both John and Moonshine stared at her.

"You're right" the femme realized.

"Is Prime still in his office?" John asked

"According to my internal comm-signal tracker he is, why?" the femme raised an optic ridge

"Because I've got an idea: I need to talk to him, and tell Portia to come and meet us too? I think she might be a big help: and also, tell Crystalwing to stick around. She has to know what just happened..."

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

Of all the places on the base, the brig was by far one of the most imposing; heavily re-enforced concrete/cybertanium-steel alloy walls with stasis-field generators for bars, and armed to the teeth with a (possibly?) killer security system, it could easily hold some of the more formidable cons, should any be captured and incarcerated here.

Ironhide and Jetfire had barely been on duty an hour; guard duty in the brig was not anyone's idea of fun, but for the old veterans it was one of the few occasions they could get a break from the two sets of twins while still on duty, and since the Lambo's and Chevy's were banned from the brig (unless they got into trouble again), it proved to be an easy reprieve.

Well? Any other time it would be a reprieve, but their current prisoners were currently the object of their muted annoyance; although neither of them said a word or made eye-contact, and the incident that lead to their incarceration had been hours ago; their disdain for Longrange's and Coldbore's behavior still had them riled.

Longrange was not too worse for wear, and despite his injuries from the fight he could've come off much worse; with wire-mesh dressings and freshly welded patches covering the worst of his injuries, the hours following the fight had been a much needed cooling off period (and time out) for the young sniper, even though he was still feeling sore from his bruised ego, and eager to get some pay-back.

Coldbore, for his part, made no attempt to defend his actions or object in anyway, he simply seemed to have accepted the consequences of his actions and went to the brig without a fuss (much to the younger sniper's dismay and the other bots bemusement). He sat on the birth of his cell in an almost meditative state; his wings folded back and his hands on his knees, he just sat there in silence with his optics closed: no doubt imagining himself in a different place.

Despite the passing of the hours, and the ebbing of his anger; Longrange just couldn't let go of the subject that led him to be in this situation; after a restless nap on his birth, he sat up, and glanced at the two old mech's who were standing guard on the opposite side of the room.

"Why didn't you just kill them?" he blurted out

"Who?" Ironhide frowned

"You know" Longrange frowned,

"You mean the defectors?" Jetfire corrected; he and Ironhide exchanged bemused glances.

"You mean those _traitors_" he shot back, "Of all the opportunity's why didn't you just kill them the second they came here and be done with it?"

Jetfire shifted on his feet, leaning on his walking stick as he slowly paced over to the cell: "...I have to confess, it was temping; seeing them again after all this time, I was eager to see if they were still the same dulled moron's they'd always been..." he thought aloud as he came up alongside the cell, being careful not to step too close to the stasis field as it buzzed between its generators, "But-, the more they stuck around, the more I'd seen they'd-...changed. It wasn't easy to accept, and certainly not simple with all the years we have to show for our combined hatred of each other. But then, if I'd put them down at the first opportunity I'd be quite the hypocrite" he smirked offhand.

"Hypocrite?" Longrange frowned in confusion, "What're you talking about?"

"Would it interest you to know_ I_ was a con once? ..." the old seeker asked as he stroked his metal beard, "Many eons ago of course but none the less, there was a time I hated the bots and detested Prime's philosophy"

Longrange gazed at Jetfire with a confused look; on the one hand he looked like didn't want to believe him, that the old codger was way over the hill and losing his processor: but on the other hand, something about what he said made him stop, "You? A con? ..." the sniper raised an optic ridge, "You never said anything"

"You never asked; and even if you did, would you still listen to me? ..." Jetfire replied. Longrange didn't reply, and just sat there as the seeker continued: "...Long ago, back when Megatron first seized Kaon and made it into his stronghold; I was a seeker looking to play my part in the grand scheme of things, but above all I was an idealist who wanted change. At the time the political atmosphere on Cybertron had started to reach fever-pitch; the order of the social hierarchy was starting to crumble, and in its wake a cry for change went out among the lower classes. I wanted to be part of that change: to help usher in a new order that would see all cybertronians as equals, like it was during the reign of the Primes...For the most part, up until that point in time we'd mostly been raiding and plundering certain military and industrial faculties for resources, to make a political statement that we wouldn't be ignored, and to arm ourselves for the coup"

"The coup?"

"The coup to seize the Temple Of Primus, and the Cybertronian Council in Iacon, and hold it until Sentinel Prime and the heads of the council agreed to changes the law of the hierarchy ...at least...that's what we were told..." Jetfire stared off into space as the memories of that sombre event came back to haunt him, "...It wasn't until Megatron ordered me to go to the Iacon foundry and kill all the sparklings within, that I realized what his true intentions were..." he shook his head and straightened up, "That day I killed half my armada, and nearly got my wings blown off when Ironhide and Kup tried to take me on; after that I surrendered and defected, and have never looked back"

"Trusting Jetfire never came easy, but after a few centuries I wouldn't have anyone else to cover my back" Ironhide offered, "Killing on the spot is not what being an Autobot's about; and we certainly don't shoot a mech when he'd down and defenseless"

"Big deal, so you got a lucky break" Longrange shrugged

"It wasn't just a break lad, it was a chance to atone for what I'd done; all these centuries I've been a bot there's not a day goes by I'm not thankful to Prime for his mercy and understanding. If it were anyone else I'm pretty sure I'd be in a very different place by now"

"...You said you had an armada" Longrange changed the subject, "What did you mean by that?"

"I was the commander of the seeker armada, the _first _armada, the one that first attacked Iacon the day the war began; before Starscream betrayed me and tried to leave me for dead. Fortunately that slag-head never had much of a CPU when it came to making sure your enemy was offline" Jetfire smirked, "But by that time revenge was the last thing on my mind...Everything I thought to be true was a lie, and suddenly everything was backwards; after I defected I realized I had some serious choices to make, and I knew by then whatever happened, the consequences of those choices would follow me for the rest of my life...Thundercracker, Skywarp and the drones are no different, it just took them longer to figure it out"

"And yet after all they and the other cons have done, you'd _still_ be willing to forgive them just like that?" Longrange sneered obnoxiously

"Forgiveness is not given, it has to be earned; it takes time, patience, and much understanding. But nothing's impossible" Jetfire offered

Longrange didn't reply

"...Let me ask you something..." the seeker thought aloud, "...Why are you so full of hate all the time? Not just for the defectors but for everyone else too. A young mech like you full of potential and still very wet behind the wings, yet you have so much rage inside that it blinds you in the heat of a fight...I don't even want to _try_ and guess how many missions you've botched up over the years...What happened to you that was so terrible you have to be such a diehard cynic all the time?"

Longrange looked up at the seeker with a most hateful stare, for a moment the two guards thought he would rush at them and try to break through the stasis field; but instead he just continued to sit on his birth, and heaved a sharp sigh through his vents. "...Besides losing my whole family? Pretty much everything that followed..." he stated in a calm yet threatening voice; "You know? The thing I never got about being a bot was why we have to maintain this whole slagged-up facade of 'being the better warrior by being fair and honorable', when our enemy doesn't even blink twice when holding a cannon to a newly sparked sparkling and pulling the trigger...Is it any wonder we lost the war? Why we're stuck on this Primus-forsaken dirt-ball, at the whim of a bunch of organic meat-sacks? , you seriously expect me to believe that by being 'merciful' we were supposed to _win_? That somehow it would appeal to Megatron's better nature and force him to think twice about all he's done? If there's one thing I _hate_ more than him it's that walking _scrap-heap_ you call our leader! How in the pit can you blindly follow such a naive-minded mech? You think all that slag he spews about being fair and equal is supposed to help? How did it help us when Cybertron finally went dark? How did it help us when we got massacred at Tyger Pax? And how the slag did it help us when he let the Allspark get destroyed, _by one of those meat-sacks no less?!_ ...Nothing good ever came of being merciful, cuz no one's merciful to begin with...No matter how far you go or what lengths you're willing to go to, _no one_ is ever truly innocent, so what's the point in trying to defend innocence when it never existed in the first place?"

An uncomfortable silence passed as the two veteran bots regarded the youngster with a sense of disbelief and pity. They'd seen their share of cynicism among many bots over the eons, and each and every one of them died believing the war would never end, that hope was a distant dream long since gone and extinguished from the universe. The death of hope was a terrible thing, especially when fighting a war; it was a rust that set in around the spark and little by little it would eat and corrode all that was good and positive, until finally all that was left was someone who had nothing left of their old selves: not even their life, and were simply shadows and ghosts that had yet to pass into the next life. It was sad to see them carry on fighting like that, not caring for themselves or even others at times, they'd just fight; not for any ideals or victories anymore, but because the war was all they knew: until ultimately, in the end death was the only friend they had.

Ironhide gazed at the young sniper and couldn't help but think back to those times he became frustrated with everything and everyone. When the war couldn't possibly get any worse, somehow the cons would drop the bar another level and a new sick twisted depraved means of torture and killing would make the bots stop in their tracks, and make them ashamed to be a sentient species. Many times over, for each and every death that was a nail in the coffin for the cybertronians and their world, it was that sociopathic madness that would make his anger fester and boil so much, that at times he was tempted to rip off his Autobot insignia, arm himself to the proverbial teeth, and march over the enemy lines and begin ripping out spark chambers. In that respect he could understand, and maybe forgive Longrange's cynicism in _that_ regard; but everything else? No, he'd crossed a line and there was no excuse for his behavior; and even now as he stood gazing at this young mech, something in the back of his mind told him that in all likelihood he might _never_ come to understand or perceive the gravity of what he'd done, or be willing to _try_ to understand... 'A life wasted' he thought to himself, and shook his head in disappointment.

"...That might be true" Jetfire mused aloud, "Many of us, the humans included: have at one point in our lives done something, that in hindsight we'd do anything to take back; but that doesn't mean we're bad, it just means we've experienced one of life's many hard turns, and have come out that little bit wiser for it"

"Well I'm sorry to have to clue you in old mech but those 'hard turns' are just another word for weakness" Longrange spat back, "Throughout this whole war there's nothing I've done that I or anyone else has regretted undertaking; I did my job despite who my commander is, and _for your information_ I haven't botched up _single _mission!". He paused a moment, before something else came to mind: "...Actually, now that I think about it, let me ask you something..." he smirked facetiously, "You _are_ aware it was a 'human' that destroyed the Allspark right? How can you be so stupid as to ally yourselves with them? Their under-evolved, violent and primitive; what right do they have to think they're even anywhere _near _our level?"

"And what right did _we_ have in bringing our war to their world?" Ironhide shot back

"This base and everyone on it is only here because they _unintentionally _became involved with us, and for that they could be wiped out for even _associating_ with us! They may be a young species but they're not stupid; they've got a long way to go, and it's no one's place to say they can't make something of themselves" Jetfire added, "Even our own species had to start somewhere, and before the golden age we had to go through many trails and tragedies before we realized we could do far better, and do what's right by everyone"

"...Besides" Ironhide sighed as he folded his arms, "Their certainly not as weak as you think"

"Really? Cuz those two meat-sacks who pranked me didn't put up much of a fight when I was crushing them" Longrange grinned, "They don't have anything to show for their weak and pathetic existence, and they don't have to worry about being scared now that they got you to hide behind. The second the cons show their true colors you'll be busier picking their guts and blood from out between your servos that actually fighting them"

"I wouldn't be so sure" Ironhide smirked, "If your ever let out of here, why don't you come along to one of the training sessions and find out for yourself?"

Longrange simply waved the mech off, and leaned back against the wall his bunk was attached to; "Like I'd waste my time with you decrepit old scrap-heaps; I could beat your afts any cycle"

"Forgive me if I'm wrong but didn't Thundercracker whip your aft already?" Jetfire asked sarcastically, "What makes you think you'd have a chance against the likes of us?"

"Duh!- the sniper dolled as he rolled his optics, "My flight systems are far superior to yours, my combat systems are faster and more adaptable, and I can easily snipe you from over ten miles away" he scoffed

"Hm, if that's the case why didn't you beat Thundercracker at the first move?" Ironhide frowned

Longrange said nothing, and simply scowled at the weapons expert; a long moment of uneasy silence passed as the tension between them ebbed away, and something else came to Longrange's mind: "...One other thing" he thought aloud, "What makes you think the war's over for sure? Sure the Allspark's gone but that won't stop the cons from coming here to settle old scores"

"...True" Jetfire admitted reluctantly, "It might be a rash if not selfish assumption to think it's over for good; but we have no reason to keep fighting anymore. Like you said the Allspark's gone so Cybertron's gone forever: Vector Sigma sacrificed itself to save that 'other' earth from the Dark Spark, and the rest of our kind are scattered to the stars, lost forever amid the blackness of space...This war has been lost for a long time, and we'd been kidding ourselves that returning life to Cybertron would be the end of all this"

"Why?"

"Because even with Megatron dead: if we still had the Allspark, I wouldn't want to see Cybertron reborn again, not if it meant that prejudice mech's like you are still allowed to preach your hatred for all to hear. After everything we've been through and everything we've suffered, mechs like _you_ are the last thing our world would need" the ancient seeker sneered.

Coldbore looked up at Jetfire in surprise, Longrange looked at him in disbelief, and Ironhide too was a little surprised by that statement, but didn't say anything as Jetfire continued. "...This war may not be over for some, but it's long since over for_ all_ of us: bot and con alike...You say humans are violent? They're not so violent that they haven't learnt forgiveness, otherwise they would've gone extinct a long time ago...Something _we_ should've learnt a long time ago" he stated bitterly.

"And what about Majestrix?"

"What about her?"

"Oh come on!" Longrange exclaimed, "_You_ of all people should know the danger she possesses! Wasn't she there at her brother's side when the foundries were attacked? Didn't she rip those sparklings apart with her bare hands while Iacon was blasted to pieces?"

"Quite the opposite actually" Jetfire corrected, "She was busy ripping Megatron to pieces, after he tried to kill her daughters..."

Longrange didn't reply.

"If you'd bother to read the old data and to ask old mech's like _me_ for the facts; you wouldn't have to keep believing in this half-cocked slag. Do yourself a favor and get an education; assuming how things went down when you weren't even there _isn't_ the way to go about impressing _anyone_ around here; even the humans know slag when they hear it. You'd be wise to _seriously_ think about what you're going to do when you get out of here, _if_ you get out of here at all" Jetfire warned

"Even so, it doesn't change the fact she's _his_ sister," Longrange sneered, "And no one's gonna be convinced otherwise"

"I beg to differ" Jetfire frowned, "Who you are _you_ to insist she's not worthy of earning anyone's trust? Prime trusts her and that's a good enough starting point for me. After all, she _is his_ sister too"

"You say that..." Coldbore spoke up quietly, "But Prime was also Megatron's brother too"

"What's _that _supposed to imply?" Ironhide frowned in ire

"...Like Longrange said" he closed his optics again, "...No one is truly innocent"

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

This had not been a good day; first the fight in the desert and now Shadowstar attacking one of the humans? Bad vibes were in the air all over the base today, and they didn't seem content to let up any time soon. As Thundercracker sat alone in the rec-room, staring down at his cube of energon, his mind was drifting back and forth between what else could possibly happen, and the worst case scenario. The sound of metal footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts as Sunstreaker strode into the room, helped himself to a cube of energon, and pulled up a chair opposite the seeker.

"Hey..." he greeted, "Mind if I join? Not too busy are you?"

A little bemused as to why the golden warrior would choose him for company, Thundercracker straightened up a little and regarded the Lambo with a weird look: "Not particularly" he replied in a deadpan tone. "Where's that idiot brother of yours?"

"Arguing with Ratchet, we went to check on the kid when he threw us out: something about too many visitors in the med-bay or somethin' like that? Anyway he ain't letting anyone else see him 'till he's up and online"

"...How's he doing?" Thundercracker sighed as he took a swig of his energon; slightly surprised to hear the vague hint of concern in his voice; Sunstreaker stilled a little before replying: "...Ratch say's its fifty-fifty: won't know for sure until he's up...considering the extent of his injury I'm surprised he survived that attack"

"If he were still _wholly_ human the force of the impact would've killed him alone. Seems his new form is quite stout" the seeker thought aloud.

"Yeah I guess..." Sunstreaker trailed off as his thoughts distracted him

"So of all the mechs on the base why'd you come to share a cube with me?" the seeker asked, raising an optic ridge, "With all the austerity going around you're the last guy I expected to see anywhere near the likes of me"

"Actually I came to thank you-" Sunstreaker grinned; _that_ got Thundercracker's attention, "-For putting that little slag-head in his place"

"...Ah yes," the seeker realized who he was referring to, "I don't think anyone's gonna miss him any time soon...but then, I'm not practically proud of how that fight went down"

Now it was Sunstreaker's turn to be surprised; "What?" he exclaimed, "You? Not proud of winning a fight? I saw Deathshot's optic-feed and you _owned _his aft! You-," he stopped, hesitant to say what had come to mind.

"...What?" the seeker frowned

"...You'd hadn't lost your touch" the golden Lambo admitted with a small smile.

Smirking in nostalgic flattery, Thundercracker leaned back in his chair and heaved a heavy sigh: "What can I say? I had loads of first-hand experience with you two idiots"

"Yeah..." Sunstreaker grinned before turning serious, "...But seriously, what was there _not_ to be proud of? That little slag-head's been swaggering around the base like he owns it, he's been a real frag to everyone and he finally gets his comeuppance (I'm just sorry it wasn't me who got to whoop his aft). In the last few hours alone everyone's been talking about you"

"...That's-, kinda what I was concerned about..." the seeker uncomfortably admitted in a brooding manner.

"What? That they wanna get up in your face for 'attacking a fellow bot?', I already took care of that and told them to go slag themselves" Sunstreaker waved off. Now thoroughly confused, Thundercracker stared at the golden warrior as if he'd taken leave of his senses. "Okay, now you lost me" he frowned.

For a moment Sunstreaker wasn't too sure he wanted to say it, but he hated procrastination, and so with a reluctant sigh he explained, "...Look, I know I should be the last guy wanting to stand up for you, and to be honest I _still _have doubts that your completely legit, if at all...that whole 'thing' in the other universe? When you guys showed up: I was half expecting it to be back to business as usual between us; but you surprised me. That was probably the first time in-, forever, that you didn't try anything, even though you'd been right over our heads all day. I guess I should've figured something was different, that _you guys_ were different now; and it didn't really occur to me until a few days ago that-, maybe? Things really _have_ changed? ..." He paused a moment before continuing, "Don't get me wrong there's still a lot of slag I can't forgive you for, and _won't _forgive you for; you pulled some pretty sick slag in the past and for the spark of me I _won't_ let you forget it, but this last week has been...'complicated' to say the least"

"...I knew when I defected this wasn't going to be easy" Thundercracker sighed, "and I didn't expect nor _want_ any 'special treatment'; this whole austerity? Maybe I do deserve most of it, because Primus only knows I got _a lot_ to answer for when I eventually go to the well of Allsparks: But I'd like to think that for all the bad I've done I'd _at least_ like the chance to do some good, whatever that means..."

"...You say that, but then _anyone_ can just say that; doesn't mean they have to mean it" Sunstreaker mused aloud

"True, I have nothing but my word to offer as proof: and as this last week has shown, anyone's word can be rendered redundant in the face of stupid arrogance"

"So why defect? The universe is a big place you could hide wherever you want"

Thundercracker pondered the question a moment, before taking another sip of energon and replying: "Two main reasons: one, neutrals are more hated than bots, if the cons found out I had no allegiance to anyone anymore they'd have been more eager to find me than you guys. And two, I was half offline and bleeding out when Elita and her team found me and Warp, telling her we'd defected was the only means to save our lives (at the time)...But also, I owe a debt"

Sunstreaker frowned, "A dept? To who?"

"That's personal"

"You can't even hint?" Sunstreaker smirked: Thundercracker shot him a sharp look, making it clear to drop the subject.

"Okay okay, forget I asked," he waved it off, "So your options were limited, but even so; you didn't _have_ to go to that other earth"

"I know"

"So why go?"

"Because Prime ordered me to,"

"And you had no problem with that?"

Thundercracker shot him a reprimanding look

"Okay, an interdimensional rift in time and space does sound quite dangerous"

"'_Quite'_ dangerous?"

"Okay very dangerous: but my point is you've had no reservations about being a bot?"

"Of course I've had reservations idiot! I'm allied with my former enemies, you don't think that's a little bit awkward?" the seeker exclaimed to with Sunstreaker simply smiled with a wily grin; realizing he's been pulling his wing, Thundercracker frowned with a deadpan stare, "You haven't lost your touch either" he drolled

"You only _just_ noticed that?" the Lambo smirked, to which the seeker huffed in frustration. "...But in all seriousness, why us?" he asked

"...Because..." Thundercracker cast his thoughts back in time, "...I guess? Deep down, something told me being a bot was a safer bet" he finished his cube, "...It's often said that seekers are sparked with an innate sense of direction, that they always know which way to go, both in space and in life. For so long I had no idea where I was in my life; looking back on that time when I joined the cons I have to wonder why I chose that path? I mean-, I know why, but didn't _understand why? _...for the most part I now regret it, but at the same time I still can't help but wonder? ..."

"..You know-" Sunstreaker offered, "I seriously gave some thought to being a con once"

"Seriously? What changed your mind?"

"Can you _honestly _see me in _purple_?" the golden warrior grimaced, "I mean seriously, _that color_ on an altmode _like mine_? I'd rather be caught offline before I go out in public looking like Motor Master's bitch!"

Thundercracker couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah: that sounds about right!"

"Yeah well don't go bragging about it, or I'll have to pull my jet-judo on you, again" Sunstreaker smirked

Both mechs let a moment of silence passed before Thundercracker regarded the Lambo with an unreadable look. "You know, you've changed too" he couldn't help but observe, "You're not as pessimistic as you used to be"

"Yeah: Sides told me that too" Sunstreaker thought aloud as he propped his chin on his elbow, "...A lotta things changed when we came to earth...this planet grows on you I guess?"

"Kinda weird how that happens" the seeker offered offhand

"You like it here too?"

"Hey don't get me wrong flesh _isn't_ my cube of energon; but beyond that, humans aren't as weak as I would've perceived them to be if I were my old self. If they got the brass bearings to stand up to something like the Dark Spark and expect to _win_, then that's something worth respecting at the very least. Other than that: I don't know? Their okay I guess? At least _most of them_ have a processor" Thundercracker shrugged

"That's true" Sunstreaker nodded, "You know when I first came here and Prime told us about how the Allspark was destroyed; for ages I kept trying to figure out how a creature like Witwicky could go up against _Megatron_"

"I know, that was a real shock"

"He's hardly the combatant: forget having the speed strength and stamina to keep up with one of his own kind, the fact he won that fight through _sheer dumb luck_ was unbelievable if not almost a slap in the face-plates. For a long time it just _didn't_ seem right; but then-, after we fell through the rift and got stuck on that other earth, I kinda-, came to realize what he had that made Prime like him so much"

"What was it?"

"...Not everyone may have what it takes to be a warrior, a scout or even a Prime, but great courage _can_ come from anyone. Before that whole mess in the other universe I would've brushed it off as slag, but it was only when Witwicky and the other kids stepped up that I realized just what that meant. It ain't anyone's place to say what any of us are capable of: good or bad, anyone can do anything when they put their spark into it. And if someone like Witwicky can bring our war to an end through sheer dumb luck, then maybe taking a chance on this world and the humans may not be such a bad bet to make"

"...For once, that's something we can both agree on" Thundercracker nodded, "And for what it's worth, I hope the others come to realize that too"

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

"First Longrange and Coldbore and now this?" Majestrix sighed wearily as she watched the security feed of Shadowstar lying in the Black Solstus's med-bay, still alone with her thoughts and still angry, "...I should've done more for her; after everything that happened with Blackjive I _owe_ her family more than reassurances"

"What happened with Blackjive was not your fault" Alpha Trion offered as he tended hi his work, "You did what you could under the circumstances, and he never thought badly of you for it"

"...Why did he always have to be so damn modest?" she rubbed her helm tiredly

"That was the kind of mech he was" the white mech smiled, "Never the pessimist; always looking for the good in all things and all beings; including the worst of us"

"But what would he say if he could see his daughter now? Shadowstar tried _to kill a human_, the penalty for that alone will be harsh: if she'd actually killed him I'd dread to think what the humans would do to her" the Prima sighed in frustration, "...Why didn't I see this coming? How was she able to conceal her deterioration like this?"

"The best way she knew how. You did teach how not expose weakness" Alpha Trion pointed out, "Not that there's any fault on your part in this, but it would seem she modified your teachings to suit her needs"

Majestrix looked at him in surprise, but then realized she shouldn't have been surprised at all; "...She's always been bright for her age...Was I wrong to press her into being an Autobot so soon in life? I knew Crystalwing always had faith in her but still-"

"-Majestrix-" Alpha interrupted as he put down his tools and turn to walk over to her; his staff floated through the air and into his waiting hand as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Shadowstar's predicament is _not_ your fault; the tragedy of her creator's death affected her more deeply than even_ I_ anticipated. But we cannot be preoccupied with what was and what might be. Yes what she did was wrong but she's not beyond all help"

Majestrix regarded him with an odd look, to which Alpha Trion simply smiled

"It is as I've always said; these situations always have a way of working themselves out; just go with your instincts and your spark. Remember, do not vex yourself with how others perceive you, just do your duty and let them make up their own minds..." the old mech assured her as he turned to get back to work, "...Have a little faith: You'll be fine"

Majestrix frowned, "Wait a minute, I didn't ask-" she turned to face him, but found the mech was nowhere in sight. "You know that disappearing act of yours has been _boring_ for centuries now!" she said aloud, but no reply came back; she couldn't hurt but smirk, 'Some things never change' she thought offhand.

**: Come in Majestrix, where are you? :** Optimus asked over the comm

**: In hanger J13: I-, had to console with Alpha Trion on something, what's up? :** She replied as she watched the Ios crystal hovering in midair.

**: I need you to come up to my office: I have Crystalwing, Portia, John and Morri here with me. There's been a development with Shadowstar, and John has an idea about how she could be helped:** he stated, frowning in bemusement, Majestrix's curiosity was suddenly piqued.

**: I'll be right up: **she replied, and left the hanger for the elevator.

* * *

The dialog took a little longer to put together than usual: particularly Thundercracker and Sunstreaker's little chat.

Please let me know what you think! much love sweet-peas ;D


	7. Chpt 6: Issues

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 6: Issues

The beeping of the heart monitor was the first thing he heard. As he drifted back from the darkness, Ashley felt like he was floating in honey; a thick heavy sensation filled his skull and made him feel like he was three sizes too big...and then he remembered he was a human/cybertronian cyborg sphinx. '...Right...' he remembered. But as his consciousness slowly came back to life, the last thing he remembered was the fight, Shadowstar, his dad-

"-DAD!" he gasped in horror as he sat up in a panic, but was even more surprised when Deathshot and his cousins nearly jumped out of their skin/armor in alarm.

"ASHLEY?!" Danny gawked in astonishment.

"Danny? ..." Ashley looked around the room, "Wha-, where the hell am I?"

"You're in the med-bay youngling" Deathshot replied as he leaned down, "You've just been through surgery"

"Surgery?" Ashley echoed in confusion; he was about to ask why when suddenly he remembered everything. Looking down at his chest in horror, he pried open the body-cast and ripped off the bandages and dressings covering his injury; but to his amazement the wound was hardly noticeable, all but completely healed and there was barely any scar tissue, the indentation of surgical stitches was barely visible too.

"Wha-, you had a foot long stab wound there! How'd it heal so fast?" Tom gawked at the fading injury.

"I-, I don't know, I-"

"Perhaps I can explain?" Ratchet cut in as he entered the room with Perceptor in tow. "Forgive me if I couldn't inform you all earlier but I just completed the tests; and it would seem the surgery might not have been necessary"

Everyone glanced at each other in confusion.

"Come again?" Tom frowned

"I got stabbed in the side by a mentally-psychotic sphinx and I didn't need surgery?" Ashley gawked, "what's going on?"

Ratchet activated one of the computer terminals next to the birth, inserted a bot-sized data-drive into the device and activated a holographic image of the hemogon. "Before you went into surgery I took some hemogon to run some tests, so in the event there were complications with the procedure we had a good sample to clone from. But during the tests we discovered this..." the medic clicked a button on the terminal, and the various holographic hemogon cells started to vibrate and move around like a shoal of fish, moving in one general direction, and undergoing mitosis at an unbelievable rate: two cells became four, four into six, six into eight and so on and so on.

"Whoa..." Tom gasped

"What's it doing?" asked Ashley

"Replicating, in real time; we discovered that that the hemogon in your system replicates over fifty percent faster than ordinary human cells. Meaning you can heal much faster and more efficiently than other earth-based life forms" Perceptor replied

"When we discovered this we informed the human doctors and told them to take you out of surgery; but another scan of your systems revealed that the replication rate had been slowed to a crawl by the anesthetic's coma-inducing properties. The drugs shouldn't have affected the cellular activity of the hemogon but somehow it did: we've yet to study this further, but with the heightened replication virtually all but inactive there was nothing we could do except let the doctors carry on with their work, least it would've created more complications. It wasn't until you came out of surgery and your body underwent emergence that the cellular activity in the hemogon began to pick up again. That was over an hour ago" Ratchet explained

"So?-, I'm fine?" Ashley gawked

"It would seem so youngling" Perceptor shrugged; "We will have to conduct further tests of course, but had you not been administered the anesthesia, it's highly likely your injury would've completely healed within less than half the time of the surgery"

"And you only discovered this _now?!_" Tom exclaimed

"Why didn't you know this when you were running all those tests over a week ago?!" Ashley exclaimed in equal disbelief

"Because there _were_ no tests to register the replication rate of your cells!" Ratchet shot back, "I wasn't going to take a laser-scalpel to you and cut you up just to find out if it were even a possibility! I'm a medic not a Decepticon scientist!"

"Look, this increased cellular replication only occurred when your body's pain receptors were stimulated, and since there were no tests that induced pain this fact went unaccounted for until now" Perceptor clarified. "We didn't miss it, we simply didn't know"

Deathshot regarded them with a skeptical look, before lightening up and agreeing: "Okay, but seriously, if something like this happens again-"

"-It won't" Ratchet stopped him there, "Now that we have the data we can put in place a new procedure in case something like this happens again"

"Yeah but what if-" Ashley didn't get to finish as the doors to the recovery ward slid open, and Optimus, Bishop, Morri, and his father walked in. "DAD!-" Ashley perked up as he flew off the birth and run up to him, John didn't hesitate and threw his arms around him as the twelve foot hybrid scooped him up in a hug.

"You're okay" John sighed in relief, "...I knew you would be"

"You're okay too, thank god" Ashley smiled as he put him down and dropped down on all fours. Pressing his head to his side and purring in content.

"What've you guys been up to? You've been gone over an hour" Tom asked as he, Danny and Deathshot approached.

"We've been in conference with Moshower and Galloway, on the subject of Shadowstar's future. As well as in discussion with Crystalwing and Portia on how to address the subject" Colonel Bishop stated. Suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed from relief to uneasiness, as the femme's name sent a pang of muted concern through Ashley's spine.

"And? What did you guys decide?" Ashley asked in a flat tone, being careful to hide his concern.

Optimus kneeled down closer to the humans and gazed at Ashley with a straightforward look: "Considering you were the victim in this incident, I thought it best to tell you first" he stated

"Okay" Ashley nodded, a little half-dubious about where this was going

"After careful consideration and thought; we have decided that Shadowstar will stay in the brig until she has been fully assessed by Portia, after which she will undergo compulsory psychiatric treatment and grief counseling: as will the rest of her family. She will remain in the brig for the duration of her treatment, and if she starts to shows signs of improvement she will be allowed out for certain periods or time with supervision"

Slightly taken aback, Ashley, Tom and Danny all glanced at one another in surprise; "Psychiatric treatment?" Danny echoed

"You object?" Prime asked

"No it's just-, it's the first time I've ever heard of a robot needing a shrink" he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Kinda surreal"

"...You think she'll go for it?" Ashley asked

"She has no choice Ashley, it is either this or the brig indefinitely, and I fear her mental state will not improve with incarceration" Prime stated

"She's not evil" John added, "She's messed up and she needs help; _proper_ help"

"I don't disagree with you on that..." Ashley said offhand as the memory of the fight came to mind, "But after what she did, I can't say I'm completely sure about this"

"That's okay" John laid a hand on his shoulder, "I don't blame you, all I ask is that you give her this chance; forgiveness doesn't have to come into it right now. Just give it time and let Portia and Crystalwing do what they can: After all, nothing tried nothing gained right?"

"Right..." Ashley sighed offhand, "But how're you gonna do this? Longrange and Coldbore are in the brig too, and their the _last mechs_ she needs to see right now"

"I have already informed Prowl and Red Alert and they are making the necessary preparations as we speak; Shadowstar will be transferred to the brig as soon as she's cleared to leave the Black Solstus's med-bay" Bishop replied

"Wait-, What about Ravage? I overheard Eclipse and Moonshine earlier and Eclipse wanted to arrest Ravage for inciting the incident" Deathshot asked in concern

"We've already reviewed the security footage of the incident and we _know_ Ravage was not to blame in this. I've ordered Eclipse to belay the arrest and to leave the matter with us" Prime stated

"Needless to say this has caused even more tension; as if what happened this morning was enough to deal with, now half the base if asking what the hell went on down there" Bishop stated in a deadpan tone,

"There's also another issue that sprang up because of this" Morri hesitated

"What? ..." Ashley pressed her

"After Crystalwing took you to the med-bay Acidwing, Blackmoon, Shiningstar and Sparklestar stayed behind to look after Shadowstar, until Ratchet or one of the other bots could take her to the Black Solstus. When they finally got some help and left, Tracks came along and found some of the hemogon you lost; and now _practically everyone_ on the base has been asking about this 'weird blood-energon mix' and what it is" she explained

"WHAT!" the boys and guardian exclaimed in a panic.

"_Don't remind me_" Ratchet growled through his dental plates as he clenched his fists tightly

"Everyone is halfway between wondering what Perceptor's been up to with the chemistry set and worrying that we've got a new alien life-form in the quarantine block. We tried to implement control-plan 3 for the damage control but it's useless now; I'm sorry but the secret's out kid" Bishop explained

"We just spent the last three quarters of an hour keeping everyone out of the med-bay and making sure they didn't hang around" Perceptor added

"And up in the security hub everyone's been nagging Red Alert for details, which of course he doesn't know since we were the only ones who knew about this" Morri added

Ashley stood there, dazed as he tried to wrap his mind around all this; Deathshot however was more ticked off than anything else right now, "When I get my hands on that mech I'll-"

"You'll do nothing" Prime stated firmly, "I've already talked to Tracks on the matter and have reprimanded him as such. The issue is _not_ to be dragged out, do you understand?"

"Yes sir..." the sniper huffed in annoyance, and made a mental note to have a 'privet chat' with the mech later.

"What else does everyone know?" Tom asked

"Only that the 'mix' came from Ashley and is not straight forward energon nor is it blood; it's enough to safely conclude he's not a techno-organic. Which makes it a real problem as trying to keep our mouths shut about it won't inspire much confidence in our honesty" Morri sighed

"Let them talk; the data on Ashley's 'cyber-suit' was meant to be secret for a reason; they won't get anything else" Deathshot stated, "And if anyone tries to press the subject they'll have take it up with _me_"

Sighing in a mix of annoyance and worry, Ashley rubbed his forehead as he tried to think: "Okay, so what're our options? Or what're _my _options for that matter"

Everyone looked at one another, and couldn't seem to find the right answer. "...I don't know son, for now you can keep your head down if you want and I'll ask everyone to leave you alone; give you some breathing space to try and work this out" Bishop offered

"But what if I have no choice? Do we tell them the results of those tests?" Ashley asked

"Absolutely not! That data could do some serious damage if it got leaked off the base, or worse, if the cons get wind of it and take an interest" Ratchet was quick to state

"Right right..." Ashley nodded as he tried to keep that fact in mind, "But what _do_ we say? We lie and people are gonna find out one way or another, and with a family of telepaths living on the base that's hardly gonna fly at all; we tell the truth who knows what kinda crazy shit could go down? We can't get out of this either way. I'm not a cybertronian, a human or even a techno-organic, so what do I tell them?"

"...I don't know..." John sighed in regret, feeling at a loss that he couldn't say or do more. "For now, all we can do is_ try_ to deal with it as best we can, and _pray _someone like Galloway doesn't find out..."

* * *

Sometime later, elsewhere on the base:

"Okay, now when you aim, keep your arm steady, engage your weapon's software tracking mode and follow the trajectory through" Skywarp explained as Novastar aimed her wrist-gun at the target some twenty feet away, "And when you got it lined up, just shoot and-"

PEW-PEW!

Novastar fired the gun; hitting the edge of the target and blowing part of it clean off, looking at her failed marksmanship she huffed in frustration and slumped down on the rock behind her. "Ten out of ten, all misses" she sulked

"Yeah, but you actually_ hit_ the target this time, that's not bad!" Skywarp tried to assure her, but the sullen look on her face told him getting the target spot on was the last thing on her mind.

"What's up?" he sat down beside her, "Is it the distance? Cuz we can do the ten-footers again if you're not comfortable with midrange yet" he offered

"*sigh* it's not the targets, honest" she sighed, "It's-..." she hesitated

"What?"

Seeing the soft look of concern in his optics, she sighed as she held her head in her hands, and reluctantly let her vexed thoughts be voiced as she explained: "...It's everything: this whole day has been crazy enough without Longrange making trouble; now Shadowstar's suffered a mental breakdown and Ashley nearly died because of it. Crystalwing and her whole family are beside themselves, Mother's blaming herself for this, and Eclipse refuses to even _try_ to help while Moonshine's left to try and keep everyone from totally loosing it...and all throughout, I don't know what to do?" she sulked

"Hey, it's not your responsibility to keep things in check, that's your uncle's job" Skywarp offered

"I know: this whole week's been a strain on him, but today? He didn't need any of this. I wish I could've done more"

"You _are_ doing more! You're a big help to your sisters, to us and everyone, but your only one femme, you can't be everywhere at once" he offered, trying to sound encouraging.

"Actually I can" She stated softly

"Huh? What'd you mean?" the seeker raised an optic ridge

"Being a hacker I can be wherever I want, at different places at the same time" she explained

"Oh yeah, right; but don't you ever get boarded with it? Even a little? It just seems like such a drag, being ordered to do the same thing day in day out" the seeker asked in slight bemusement.

"Actually, it was more _my_ choice than my mother's. Don't get me wrong I always tried to do my best in combat class; but-, being a solder? That was never 'me': it didn't feel like it was where I belonged you know? I was always more comfortable behind a computer or keeping tabs on the action from way off. Getting up close with the enemy, no matter how hard I tried I could never summon the brass bearings for it" she sighed woefully. "...Mother says that strength isn't all about brute force; strength comes in many forms, and what we lack in one we make up for in another. I always had a processor for learning code so being a hacker just seemed to be the logical option" she shrugged

"I'm guessing you and your sisters were quite the team back in the war: You the hacker, Moonshine the weapons designer and Eclipse the warrior, you must have been something fierce" Skywarp thought aloud

"Yeah, I guess that's how most people saw it" she though offhand in a downcast tone

"What do you mean?" he frowned in bemusement.

Novastar hesitated a little, "...The thing is we were never really a 'trine' as some would like to think; I mean we trained together and there were things we had, and still have in common as sisters. But as we grew older things changed, and we changed too..." she explained as she cast her optics out over the desert, and gazed at the distant mountains, "...Me and Moonshine were always together, and Eclipse was like mother many ways (even though she won't admit it), and just as good a warrior too; but over time she grew ...'Distant'"

"Distant how?"

"Hm, she wasn't as close to us as she used to be, and she's not been on good terms with mother for many years now"

"Why not?"

"It's-..." Novastar couldn't bring herself to say it, "...It's complicated; but basically, she believed mother was to blame for a-, mistake she made once: and even though me and Moonshine have long since forgiven her for it, Eclipse refuses to let it go: and every time mother tries to make amends or we try to talk to her about it, she just throws it back at us, and her"

"Geez..." Skywarp grimaced in strained uneasiness, "What was so bad that she held a grudge for so long?"

"I-...I'd rather not say..." Novastar turned away slightly, "But what can be said is that we've not been a family for a very long time. And sometimes, I just _wish_ she could see the strain she's putting on us, on mother. She's been there for us all throughout our lives, keeping us safe, keeping us alive through the worst of the war. And she refuses to acknowledge any of it, that it never happened" she trembled as tears started to well in her optics

"Then why don't you stand up to her?"

"Because- ..." Novastar's face scrunched into a mix of shame and spark-breaking sadness as tears streamed down her face and she wrapped her arms around herself; Skywarp wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and let her lean into him as she sobbed for a few minutes before calming down enough to continue: "...Because I don't know how?" she wiped the tears from her optics, "...For as long as I could remember I could never seem to do anything right for her. I try to fly as her wing-mate but she said I was slow and weak; I try my best to fight and she said I was a coward and a useless runt: and when I covered her on missions via the infiltration network, she said I was a useless excuse for an Autobot...maybe that's why they all died?"

"What? Who all died?"

"The division...There were many of us once; the 9 was over ten thousand strong when mother and the first nine formed it back in the early days of the war. And little by little, as the eons passed and the fighting steadily grew worse, every year more of us were lost, until all that was left was us..." she paused to take a deep breath through her vents, "...Whenever someone offlined and it was on my watch, Eclipse would say it was always my fault, that I was hardly fit to watch over my Scrappy let alone a team of professional soldiers" she sobbed; at the mention of his name, Scrappy hopped to his feet from the boulder he'd been snoozing on and came bounding up to his mistress, snuggling into her side as she gingerly stroked him behind the ears. "...Maybe she was right? Maybe I'm not fit for anything? I can't even stand up for myself"

"Hey come on" Skywarp patted her on the shoulder, "That what you got me for remember?" he smiled, trying to encourage some positivity; "Yeah..." she sighed as she straightened up and wiped her face and optics, "These secret 'tutorials' of yours have been helpful. But I don't honestly think I'm making any progress, a whole week of target practice and this is the first time I actually _hit_ the target, what does that say about me?"

"It say's you're hard work finally paid off! Pit even I didn't hit the target the first time I fired my weapon"

"You didn't?"

"Pit no! I missed the target completely and hit Starscream in his turbo booster; I tell ya, they don't call his Star-_scream_ for nothing!" he grinned wickedly, "But seriously, just keep at it, I'm cutting you _way more_ slack than I ever used to get. Didn't your mother ever used to teach you how to shoot?"

"Of course she did, she used to give me one on one lessons on account of my clumsiness; but even then I never seemed to get anything right" she sighed mournfully

"Hmmm? ..." Skywarp pondered for a moment, "Why do _you_ think you can't get it? Tell me: what's the first thing that comes to mind when you try to take a shot? How do you focus?" he asked

"Umm? ..." Novastar tried to think, "...I'm not sure: I could never seem to focus because I would always hear Eclipse in the back of my mind telling me I'd miss"

"Okay that's a start...Um? Alright, what comes to mind when you try to be brave?" he asked

"When I try to be brave? ..." Novastar was a little taken aback, "...I...I don't know? ...I think, maybe? Mother, of all the femmes I've ever known I don't think there's anyone more braver"

"Okay, this is what I want you to do..." he stood up, gently pulled Novastar to her feet, and positioned her in front of the target. "Aim for that target, and think of something your mother would say; how would she tell you to do it?" he stated

"But-but I"

"Ah ah, no buts: Eclipse ain't here, she can't tell you what you can and can't do, she never had that right in the first place; just focus on the target and forget everything. Don't think, just shoot" he stated

'_She never had that right in the first place' _...Those words echoed through Novastar's mind like rolling thunder; deep down something shifted in her spark, a sense of realization that dared to cry out in anguish and defy all the years of depression and worthlessness that made her the meek little femme she was. Novastar couldn't explain it, and in some way part of her was scared of it, but it filled her with something she'd never felt before: she couldn't describe it, nor put a name to it, but her instincts told her to fly with it, to let her embrace it, and fill her up with this new something, that right now was the guiding force of her hand as she took aim, and fired.

PEW-PEW!

This time, her shot was ten inches from the center of the target.

"Primus..." she breathed in flabbergasted astonishment, "I did it, I DID IT!" she exclaimed happily as she bounced up and down in excitement, "I actually hit the target!" She sang over and over in sheer delight. Skywarp said nothing as he let her have her moment, though he wasn't prepared for when she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, "Thank you" she sighed with great relief: before realizing what she was doing and pulled away in embarrassment, "Oh-, uh? Sorry about that, kinda got a little excited there-" she offered sheepishly as she shifted awkwardly on her feet.

"Uh yeah, quite-" Skywarp replied sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment (an unconscious habit he'd picked from the humans), trying not to make eye contact. "So uh? Listen, it's gonna be getting dark soon; how about we try to repeat that success and have a few more tries before we call it a day huh?" he offered.

"Defiantly!" Novastar beamed as she aimed again.

As he watched her shoot, Skywarp was thankful cybertronians couldn't blush, because if they did, he'd be redder than Sideswipe's aft right now.

* * *

Elsewhere:

"...I guess it could be way worse? ..." Sparklestar thought aloud, "What's a 'Si-key-hat-trick' treatment anyway?"

"Psychiatric" Shiningstar corrected, "It's a form of treatment that humans use to try and heal their minds when their sick or 'damaged'. Rather strange, considering their not telepathic by nature"

"I'm surprised John's willing to forgive her, after what happened he's the last person I expected to run to Shadow's defense" Obsidian thought aloud

"I sense he is aware her plight is not as straight forward as some would like to think..." Crystalwing said softly as she rubbed her helm, the strain of Shadowstar's absent bond had weighed particularly heavy on her over the last hour, and with her other creations bonds to balance out, she had to expended her abilities a lot more than usual. Now tired and mentally exhausted, her offspring stayed close, reaching out and offering a portion of their psychic strength to alleviate the strain on her mind and psyche as she tried to nap on her birth. "He is aware of her pain, and can relate in some way, though I don't know how?"

"How did he get her to talk to him like that anyway? She's _never_ opened up like that before" Blackmoon pointed out

"He consented to let me 'see' his memory of the conversation; his instincts told him what would grab her attention the most"

"But how did he even _know? _We've been trying to get through to her ever since-, _that day_, and all of a sudden he concluded what she needed to hear that we could've offered? I don't understand?" the black and blue dragon drone despaired.

"Neither do I, and for the spark of me I can't figure out where I went wrong?" Crystalwing sighed sorrowfully as another pang of grief rippled through her mind; her creations minds all came closer and embraced her hurting emotions in a 'hug'.

"Please mother don't torture yourself like this" Acidwing sobbed as he curled up by her side, nuzzling his face into her armor, "I'm the one who lost control and started the fight, it should be me who get's punished"

"Now now my sweet-spark" Crystalwing picked him up and laid him on her chest plates in a warm cuddle, "Please don't do this to yourself, the fault was not yours" she soothed

"We're all to blame in this" Twilightveil cut in with a sad sigh, "And forgive me for sounding unsympathetic, but no amount of lament is going to help Shadow"

"You're right my dear" her mother nodded, "she needs us to be strong; _we_ need to be strong if we're to help her find her way back"

"Yeah but how?" Sparklestar asked

"Maybe we-" Shiningstar paused when she sensed two familiar minds approaching their quarters, sensing them too, her siblings looked at one another in bemusement.

"Mother, do you sense them?" Obsidian asked

"Yes, go let them in sweet-spark" she asked; Obsidian got up and went to open the door where Morri and Ashley greeted him, and asked to come in. The mech showed them through to their mother's bedroom where she was lying down with Shiningstar, Sparklestar, Acidwing and Blackmoon curled up near her side, while Twilightveil and Obsidian were sat on a couple of chair's they'd dragged in from the other room.

"It is good to see you're well again youngling" Crystalwing greeted with a weak smile

"I take it dad told you?" Ashley asked as he scooped Morri up in his arms and jumped up onto the birth in one effortless leap, setting her down by the giant femme's head.

"Actually I sensed your mind coming around after your surgery; you healed much quicker than I thought?" she replied

"Yeah, about that..." he winced in uneasy hesitation, "This might be a stupid question for you, but did Tracks gossiping catch your ears sometime this evening?" he asked

"It did" Shiningstar sighed, "We can hear everybody's minds, practically everyone on the base knows about that weird red stuff that bled outta you earlier"

"What was that stuff anyway?" Sparklestar asked as she got up and sniffed Ashley's side where the (now completely healed and gone) injury had been.

"That's what we came to talk to you about" Morri stated

"You see? The thing is, technically I'm _not _a techno-organic" Ashley explained uncomfortably, "That red stuff that came outta me? It's called hemogon, organic human blood and energon fused together"

Everyone frowned in perplexed concern

"But-, Energon fries organic matter on contact; how can blood and energon fuse together?" Blackmoon asked

"Read our minds and find out for yourself" Morri stated, everyone blinked in surprise

"We figured we'd confide in you guys, considering your telepathic it would only be a matter of time before you found out the whole truth; and with that, we rather you hear it from us first than from someone or somewhere else" Ashley added

"Yes but a memory scan? Are you sure?" Twilightveil asked in concern

"I've had Ravage in my head before; you could say I have experience" Morri offered with a small smile.

"Well? If your sure younglings, all right..." Crystalwing sighed; both she and offspring's optics began to glow more intensely, and all at once everything seemed to go dark as time melted away and reality seemed to warp into something, or somewhere else.

Morri and Ashley stared off into space as they felt their bodies go limp and fade into a strange state of motionless as something gently caressed over their minds: like bird's feathers and satin, they felt a soft presence gently ooze into their memories like honey running off a slice of bread. And all at once the memories of how Ashley became what he was played back second for second; every detail and every moment was filtered out and replayed like a bad movie, all the while they felt like they were standing outside their bedrooms, and having to watch as someone was rummaging through all their personal stuff. This state of not being in control made their instincts scream out in horror, but another presence was quick to envelop their fears in a soft warm reassuring embrace, telling them it would be okay. As quickly as it began, they suddenly found themselves back in the room, right where they were, as if nothing had happened. Surprised to find they weren't as traumatized as they should be, the two cousins glanced at one another in confusion, and gazed around at the family, whose optics were now back to normal and gazing at them in a mix of shock, bewilderment, and amazement.

"That was...wow..." Sparklestar breathed

"He-, saved your life?" Obsidian blinked in surprise, "-By reprogramming the nanites?" Twilightveil added instinctively

"Yeah, pretty much..." Ashley sighed as he rubbed his head; making a mental note not to consent to that so eagerly next time.

"Now I know why Prime was so closely guarded about this; the implications of this are huge" Crystalwing blinked in surprise

"And no thanks to Tracks we don't know what to do now?" Morri replied, "If this gets out we could be in trouble, or _attract_ trouble"

"Yes, I see what you mean..." Crystalwing said offhand as she sensed the notion of the Decepticons running through Morri's mind.

"So Shadow was right, you _are_ different" Acidwing breathed in realization.

"If she'd known that beforehand, she'd have tried to kill you for sure" Shiningstar grimaced in horror.

"Or worse, if Longrange found out-" Acidwing suggested; the thought of it made everyone's train of thought stop in alarm; it didn't even bare thinking about.

"Damn good point" Blackmoon gulped, and everyone left the subject at that.

"But wait-," Twilight sensed Ashley's vexed thoughts, "You're still unsure about Shadow?"

"Well-," Ashley tried to find the right words, "Look, I _get_ she's unstable and she needs help, I'm not making an issue of that fact; but trying to kill my dad, even in a fit of being 'not-in-control'? I can't help but doubt if she really _was_ outta control, or that she tried to do that on purpose and use her mental state as an excuse...call it a hunch but something about the way she lost her temper like that just seemed too... 'convenient' somehow"

To anyone else the notion would've been too incredulous to even suggest, but as they sensed where Ashley's line of thought was coming from; the family could 'see' he was trying to put aside the emotion and drama of it all, and was focusing on the logic and sense of the situation; trying to see the bigger picture. And although she had not been witness to the incident, they could sense Morri was following a similar line of thinking. As a collective sense of agreement rippled down the bonds, Crystalwing sat up and gently placed the children on her lap.

"...What do you believe is at play in her mind?" she asked; the two cousins glanced at one another as they pondered the question: the process of their thinking buzzed and vibrated like excited atoms, giving off a strange mental impression as the creations all tried to 'listen in'.

After half a minute, Morri had something come to mind: "Moonshine told us about how bonds work, about how telepathic cybertronians form this 'hive mind' complex between each other as a family, and that it enables you all to stay connected"

"Correct" Crystalwing nodded

"She said the bonds are connected on a sub-conscious level, so that means technically you're _not consciously_ aware of them all the time, but they're still there right?"

"Right" the femme replied

"Well it suddenly occurred to me; _what if_ Shadowstar's mental state isn't just her grief alone, but a combination of all the grief you share collectively for your dad slash spark-mate?"

Everyone glanced at each other in confusion

"If you're minds are all connected sub-consciously: then it stands to reason your emotional states could manifest through each other...Crystalwing, you were there when he-, was killed, correct?"

"Y-yes" she nodded

"And you still carry a lot of guilt over that?"

"...Everyday" she sighed

"Then what if part of Shadowstar's grief is yours?" Morri suggested: the family snapped their heads up and stared at her in shock; Crystalwing was speechless.

"...If you're the dominant mind of the 'hive-mind', and your kids are the subordinates, it stands to reason that a fair portion of your subconsciousness would filter down to them..." she approached closer, now speaking in a softer voice, "...What if part of your unresolved guilt filtered down to Shadowstar's subconsciousness, and _unintentionally_ manifested itself through her? What if it's _not her_ that's angry at you, but _yourself_, trying to punish yourself for not saving your spark-mate? That coupled with Shadowstar's own guilt, could be the reason why she's been so unstable, and could be the reason why she sealed the bond off; not out of conscious spite, but her minds way of trying to protect itself from being overwhelmed" she explained: hoping and praying in the back of her mind she didn't just make things worse.

Crystalwing sat there, dazed, her mind reeling as she tried to comprehend this theory; down the bonds she could feel her creations minds shuddering and shifting in a horrible mix of dread and sorrow; what if _this_ was the real cause of their sister's plight? What if they really were to blame for her unstable state of mind? As she tried to gather herself together, she couldn't help but let out a short sharp sob as the notion hit her like a kick in the face. "I-..." she tried to stay calm, "...Never considered this before, how could I-"

"No please, don't stress yourself; I could be wrong, it could be something entirely different-" Morri raised her hands up, gesturing to try and calm her down.

"Yeah, I mean-, it just seemed like the most likely scenario to fit the bill" Ashley offered.

"Listen-" Morri tried to grab her attention, the strength of her will made Crystalwing stop and listen, "I honestly didn't come here to make things worse and I sure as hell ain't saying that you're to blame for what happened. Look, when something bad happens the mind can pull off some pretty weird shit, and one of those things is not letting us forget, for some reason we punish ourselves for things we know we didn't do intentionally: out of guilt or otherwise, and that's not our fault (on our conscious part at least). But_ if_ (and I emphasize the 'if'), if this _is_ the most likeliest cause of Shadowstar's condition, then you have an opportunity to resolve it"

Crystalwing looked at her for a long strained moment, and sighed in exhaustion... But suddenly, something made her jump slightly, snapping their heads towards the door, everyone was surprised to see Ravage and Portia standing there.

"Wha-, where the hell did you guys come from?!" Ashley gawked

"You left the door open, we let ourselves in" the panther said as he padded in and leapt up onto the birth next to Morri and Ashley; Portia approached with a sorry look on her face and sighed in an equally sorry tone.

"What's going on?" Obsidian asked as he read their initial thoughts, "You've been here the whole time?"

"Only since the younglings entered, we followed in after and I used a psychic screen to mask our presence. I'm sorry for the deception, but I felt it best she knew" he gestured to the spider-femme.

"You-, pretty much confirmed what I'd already suspected; I just wasn't sure how best to approach you on the subject" she offered

"Wait-, so Morri's theory was right?" Ashley blinked in surprise

"In as many words yes" Ravage replied, "And judging from your reactions, this hadn't come to mind before had it?"

"I didn't know-" Crystalwing hesitated as a fresh wave of grief rippled through her mind, "...-if it were possible-, if this is because of my unresolved grief, how could I not see it? Why didn't even occur to me?"

"Because you were not in a state to do so" Ravage offered softly, "Grief clouds clarity, and obscures the mind's optic from seeing what is true; your grief's manifestation through your creation is a part of your subconscious mind trying to bare the guilt of your spark-mates death. You tried to save him, you _knew _you should've saved him, and part of your psyche won't forgive yourself for that...What's done is done, lamenting in pity will not turn back time, but now that you know, you can move forward: providing you're willing to confront that which hinders you"

"...I will..." the femme sighed, "Even if it hurts, I have to do this for my daughter, for all of you" she glanced at her children.

"It is not just them you must do it for..." Ravage stated, "You must do this for _yourself_... learn to forgive yourself, and learn to let go of the pain; that's the only way you can all move on from this"

"And I'll be there to help you Crystal" Portia laid her clawed hand on Crystalwing's, "Every step of the way" she smiled

"Promise?"

"I promise"

As the two femmes talked, the siblings sensed a feeling of comfort filter through the bonds from their mother, and they all allowed themselves to feel a little better for it. Like having a thorn pulled from the skin, it was a relief as the pain of worry and dread turned to a comfortable sense of knowing they now had a sense of direction.

Sensing that it was time to let the family have this moment together, Morri and Ashley discreetly slipped away, quietly climbing down the side of the birth, tip-toeing across the floor and out the open door; no sooner had they left a familiar presence was at their backs, and Ravage crept up to next to their side.

"Well done younglings" he smiled, "And well done for not freaking out during the memory scan"

"That was beyond trippy" Ashley grimaced

"Okay, how long were you _really_ listening in?" Morri drolled in a deadpan tone

"Long enough" the panther stated in a sweet tone

"I wondered where you'd gotten to when I woke up" Ashley said offhand

"I've been taking care of business, with Portia of course, and keeping my head down; not surprisingly half the base thinks_ I _was the one who started the fight: Eclipse was not happy about it. And now I sense Tracks has been gossiping out of turn" Ravage drolled

"Yeah, he found some of the hemogon" Ashley sighed

"And you decided to confide in Crystalwing and her family, least they sense the truth and surmise their own conclusion?" he asked

Morri and Ashley glanced at each other, "It was better they heard it from us; and for what this day's event's been worth, treating them with any less regard wouldn't have felt right" Morri sighed

"Ditto" Ashley nodded, "But tell me, what Morri theorized: about Crystalwing's subconsciousness manifesting her grief through Shadowstar. What that _really_ true? Of did you slip her a telepathic note or something?" he asked

"The theory was all Morri's idea, I merely watched back there..." Ravage stated, "But the theory itself is a very good one: if Crystalwing really is the unconscious catalyst behind her daughter's mental state, it could explain the inconsistency's in her anger"

"Anger for the sake of anger. If she was receiving her mother's subconscious guilt then it makes sense; all that rage and some part of her probably didn't know where it was coming from. Grief is different for everyone, it makes sense that manifests in different ways for telepaths too" Morri offered, "But with something like a hive-mind complex in place it also made sense that Crystalwing would be the likeliest cause"

"And all this time she-, _they_ had no idea..." Ashley sighed, "Kinda sad when you think about it?"

"Yeah but that's- ..." Morri stopped with a surprised looked upon her face, and smiled with a weak chuckle.

"What ?" Ashley asked

"...I was just gonna say: 'that's human nature for you'..." she replied; at that, Ravage couldn't help but smile.

"Heh...probably not a bad slip of the vocalizer" he thought aloud, "But unconsciously thoughtful none the less" he carried on walking, "Come, I'm famished, let's go refuel"

"Now that you mention it I'm kinda hungry too, I think their serving steak in the mess tonight" Ashley smiled as dropped down on all fours and trotted ahead.

* * *

Later that evening:

There was a lot of cloud cover tonight, most unusual for the desert. Hardly any stars were visible as the thick clouds rolled overhead, and the fading twilight was shrouded in deep shades of blueish grey. As he sat alone with his thoughts atop one of the many ridge lines surrounding the base; Thundercracker let the cooling winds calm his nerve, the day had been long and tiring, and he was determined to have what was left of it to himself.

The sound of powerful ion engines stirred him from his musing and made him grumble something unflattering under his breath; if this was one of the twins or his wing-mate come to pester him he would whack them one over the helm; but instead, the sound of heavy footsteps told him it was someone else, and as he turned around, he was surprised to see Majestrix come up alongside him on the ridge.

"Oh, uh? I wasn't expecting you to be out here at this hour" he hesitated.

"I was hoping to see the stars, but it would seem they are not obliging tonight..." she mused aloud, "...Listen: I came to apologize for what happened today"

"That wasn't your fault; he had it coming" Thundercracker stated broodingly

"True, but I am his commander, I should've been there to stop him sooner" she stated

"You weren't to know: commander or not he still would've come looking for a fight" he replied

Silence

"...I'm curious..." the seeker thought aloud, "Why've you been hiding?"

"...Because..." she reluctantly forced herself to admit it, "...In some way I've grown to be wary"

"Of Longrange?"

"Of poor choices I made in the past that are now coming back to haunt me. Longrange was one of them... I don't fear him, it's what this war has done to him, and what _I didn't do_ _for_ him I regret" she sighed

"...What happened?"

"...My brother Megatron consumed my life, in more ways than one; and in my efforts to try and destroy him I nearly destroyed myself and the people I care for" she said bitterly, "...In many ways I wasn't so dissimilar to him; I try to tell myself otherwise and keep running away from it. But every time I do I'm always pulled back, and am made to be reminded that I was, and _still am_ in the shadow of his legacy" she clenched her claws, and heaved a deep heavy sigh. "...It's a vicious cycle, and one I will probably never be totally free of; but for all its worth I want to make amends, and at try to make up for all those years I lost with Optimus"

Thundercracker thought a moment, before changing the subject slightly; "...You know? For what it's worth, you don't strike me as anything like him; Megatron I mean"

Majestrix looked at him a moment, before passing a light chuckle, "Hm, flattery won't get you far with me" she smiled

"No I'm serious" he stated

"She looked at him, slightly surprised, "...How come?"

"You have the one thing he never had"

"Which is?"

"Humiliation"

Majestrix studied him for along moment with her stone-like poker face, and then gazed up at the horizon with a distant look in her optics, "...He could never admit to his faults, even in defeat he was always a sore loser..." she thought aloud, "I think that's what delighted me about trying to bring him down; the more I chipped away at his power the more he had to back into a corner, and he never liked that...There was time once a day didn't go by where I didn't think of bringing my wrath down on him, to make him suffer for all the evil he brought upon us and our world. To rip, burn and make him bleed for every death: and then-...end him..." she let her gaze drop. "...But for all my wanting to kill him, I realized that if I let myself go down that path...I would never come back..."

"So you chose life over him"

"I chose my daughters over him; they saved me, more than they'll ever know, and one day I hope to tell them that"

"Why don't you tell them now?"

Majestrix pondered a moment, "...Good point..."

"Why did you recruit Longrange anyway?"

"Like I said, he was one of many poor choices I made. When I helped to establish the 9 I wanted troops who hated Megatron as much as I did, that would be willing to go to any lengths to see him defeated. Now, there's not a day goes by I regret being that vengeful hate-filled femme, and am haunted by how much damage I did. And the real irony of it? Bots like him were ones I kept my daughters hidden from, because if they discovered my identity, and discovered their connection to me, I dread to think what they would've done to them"

"Yeah but-, you could lay a whole army _to waste_ if you wanted to: what's a handful of mechs like him gonna do?"

"...It's not that simple: as today clearly demonstrated" she sighed

"Yeah, but even so, if you've been hiding all this time and he's never seen you in action, he's got no idea you'd mop the floor with him"

Suddenly, an idea began to form in the back of Majestrix's mind, and with a knowing smiled, she turned to head back for the base

"You know, there might be an idea in there" she offered as she waved him good bye, "...Thank you"

Thundercracker stared at her in confusion, "...What did I say?" he thought aloud

Peering out from a small crack in a cluster of boulders nearby; Ratbat watched the femme curiously as she strode away, before crawling out and flying off back to the base; being sure to head for the surface opening of the air vents.

* * *

Elsewhere, down in the rec-room:

"Man I'm bushed" Glen sighed as he tried to stay awake.

"You're telling me?" Darren glanced at him, "I've had a ton of forms to fill out and confirm with Red Alert, and that mech's been in a mood all afternoon, no thanks to Longrange and Tracks"

"No to mention Shadowstar tried to bite my head off, literally" Mikaela sighed as she rested her head on Sam's shoulder

"And not forgetting the prep-work to turn part of the brig into a shrink ward" Miles yawned, "Uuugh, after all this shit today it better be worth it" he grumbled as he dozed off on the couch

"Hey guys" Ashley greeted as he strode in with his cousins and sat down next to the others on the couches and giant bean-bags.

"Yo dude" Miles yawned again, "Sorry about what happened" he offered

"It's okay" Ashley waved off, "What's done is done I guess"

"Even so, it still ain't cool" the blond teen sighed as he finally dropped off

"Maybe we should ask Prowl to implement a 'no gossiping' policy for the base?" Sam thought aloud.

"Yeah, but people still talk regardless, they'd just find other more secret places to do it in" Mikaela pointed out

"That's true..." Sam sighed

"Look, I'll be fine guys, really; it ain't the first time I've had people talking behind my back" Ashley offered

"Yeah, but every time they had something to say you'd threaten to punch 'em in the face" Danny pointed out, "This is a military base, that kinda thing won't go down well here"

"That's a point" Ashley pondered aloud, "And since we can't disclose any info on what I am, it looks like it'll have to stagnate"

"Providing no one's _too_ curious, otherwise I think you could get away with it" Darren offered offhand, gazing down at the floor with a downcast expression.

"What's up with you?" Glen asked

"Ah nothing" Darren sighed, "It's just-, what happened with Shadowstar; it just got me thinking is all"

"About what?" Mikaela asked

"Stuff going on at home: this whole thing with her mom and siblings kinda put my own family's issues into perspective"

"You got issues at home dude?" Glen asked in mild concern

"Nothing I can't put up with...it's just-, well at the moment my-" but he suddenly paused as he spotted Majestrix enter the rec-room, and softly pace over to them and kneeled down to be closer to their level.

"Forgive my intrusion young ones, I did not disturb anything did I?" she asked politely

"Nah we were just chillin'" Glen replied as he sat up straight, "What's up?"

"I came to apologize to Ashley on Shadowstar's behalf; forgive me for not coming sooner but I've been-, distracted"

"Look its fine, really" Ashley assured her, "I'm okay, she's gonna be getting help, it's all good"

"Very well: I just didn't want to give the impression that I was deliberately overlooking the collateral"

"What collateral? No one else was hurt and dad's not holding any issues over it. Everyone's fine...well, for the most part at least" Ashley thought of Shadowstar, "When doe's she begin her treatment?"

"The assessment is scheduled for tomorrow morning, after which Portia will draw up the necessary line of therapies; her family will begin the grief counseling too"

"You think she's got a shot at getting better? Cuz, I gotta tell ya, watching that security footage of the fight, she's got a lotta rage pent up" Darren winced slightly.

"I know, but whatever course she takes will ultimately be her choice, for all the help we can offer,_ she_ has to be the one to help herself" Majestrix offered

"Don't get me wrong but I don't think the other bots will agree with it, I overheard some of the mechs earlier; they already caught wind of Prime's decision and some are under the impression he's letting her off the hook" Danny said

"'Under the impression' is just that: for lack of gaining all the facts it's easy to reach your own conclusions, without having the foresight to anticipate the damage you could cause" the femme stated

"Try telling that to Tracks" Ashley deadpanned

"Indeed, but regardless of what others think, their criticisms mustn't keep us from doing what is required, or what we want; and if they don't approve well then that's _their_ problem, not ours..." she stated as she pondered on the subject, "...I think part of the problems of this last week has been a failure to be decisive, and to not stand up to the 'rumor mills' that have been circulating this base. People talk of course, but it's knowing the difference between a casual chat and deliberate gossip that makes the difference between being informative and hurting someone's image"

"I guess?" Sam raised an eyebrow, "So what're you going to do?"

"I've worried and procrastinated long enough: it's time I stepped up and put some old rumors to rest, and make a start getting things back in shape; after what happened today I'm not position to avoid it any longer" She stated as she stood back up, "For its worth young ones I'm sorry for what you've had to endure this past week, and I have no excuse. Starting tomorrow things are going to be a little different around here...recharge well" she waved good bye and strode out the room.

Mikaela blinked in confusion, "Did I miss something?"

"I think we're probably in for something" Morri through with a slight ounce of concern.

* * *

After traversing the central level's maze of corridors, Majestrix came upon Prime's office and knocked on the door,

Optimus opened the door, "Majestrix? What can I do for you sister?"

"It's what you can do _with _me that I'd great appreciate" she smiled

"Go on"

"I have an idea, and I need your help to make it work" she started as she stepped into the office and softly closed the door behind them.

* * *

A big thanks to Shinzochi for inspiring the conversation between Crystalwing, Morri and Ashley! :D That part had me stuck for a little while; but your analysis on Shadowstar got me thinking and I managed to churn out a good little twist! So a big thanks to you for that! you really did me a big favor! :)

Note the part where Darren starts to talk about his family issues - put a pin in that for the next story, cuz the next arc of the saga centers on him and his cousins :)

Also, things should start looking up for the bots, especially Majestrix, as she gets to put those shit-heads Longrange and Coldbore in their place, trust me, it's gonna be good ;)

Let me know what you think & hope you can make it for the next chapter ;) ta-ta for now dearies!


	8. Chpt: 7 Confidence

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 7: Confidence 

"Ugh, dude, it's too damn early for this" Miles grumbled as he stretched his arms up over his head and inhaled a deep gaping yawn.

"What're you talking about? It's only eight o' clock" Sam replied

"We'll excuse me Mr early bird but it was _supposed_ to be my day off, and I intended to spend half that day in bed!" the blond teen shot him an annoyed look.

"It is you're day off, but trust me, your gonna want to stick around for this" Jazz smiled with a bounce in his step

"A training session? Big deal" he deadpanned

"Not just any training session; Majestrix is gonna be headin' up this one, and she says she's got a 'volunteer' to give her a hand on the 'demonstration'" the silver bot grinned; now intrigued, the two friends glanced at each other, and wondered what would be in store.

The outdoor training ground had quite a turn out; all the bots and human troops who were going to be part of the training session where waiting patiently, while a small gathering of spectators had come to watch. As soon as the base had been informed that Majestrix would be today's lead trainer, many wondered what would be in store: with the memory of her fighting the Dark Sparks monster army leaving a stark impression on most, many were both intrigued and dubious of what the femme commander was going to be dishing out.

Kup didn't seem to be overly concerned, or offended for that matter; being the head trainer of many bots for many centuries he knew live-fire training like the treads of his tires, and always relished the opportunity to really put the rookies and grunts through their paces; whenever anyone suggested taking over from him, they'd soon be put back in their place with a sharp smack upside the helm, but today, the ancient mech simply sat back against a bolder with a content grin on his face plates, and merely waited for the show to begin. This had some of the other bots disconcerted: what did Majestrix have in store that would put him at such ease? Whatever it was, it must be something incredible.

Standing by the training ground's observational platform Optimus stood with his arms folded, waiting patiently for his sister to arrive. At his side his spark-mate Elita-1 stood by, along with Prowl, Ultra Magnus and some of the guardian bots with their charge's sitting on their shoulders; on the platform Colonel Bishop sat on the bench with Will Lennox, Epps, John and a couple of the other superior officers.

"How much longer?" Epps asked impatiently

"She should be coming up within the next several minutes" Prime stated

"Can't you even drop a hint what she's got in mind?" Will asked eagerly

"And spoil the surprise? Now where's the fun in that?" Bishop smiled

Down below in the brig, the morning was just starting for the two snipers currently incarcerated; a loud knock on the side of the cells was the only notification they got of breakfast being served, as their energon rations were slid under the stasis-field energy bars. Coldbore gently picked up his cube and sipped it quietly, while Longrange stared down at his and grumbled something under his breath before turning over and trying to go back into recharge.

Glancing at each other, both Ironhide and Jetfire exchanged a wink, and a knowing yet wicked smile.

"Better drink up or it'll be my aft if you go into stasis from lack of fuel" Jetfire purposely said

"I don't want it" the young sniper grumbled, "It's not like I need it anyway, since there's nothing to do all day except stare at the walls and your wide afts"

"Hm, in a snippy mood today are we?" the ancient seeker raised an optic ridge, "What brought this on?"

"What do you think?" he replied sarcastically

Jetfire indulged him, "Well if you weren't so reckless you wouldn't be in here in the first place, would you?"

"As if I give a frag" the young sniper shot back, "I'm only in here because Prime ain't got his helm screwed on right!"

"Funny, everyone would seem to disagree" Ironhide stated facetiously

"Only because he's got them wrapped around his little servo, that mech can't see what's right in front of him, even if it were to hit him in the face plates!"

"Hm!" Jetfire smirked, "You think he cares? He's dealt with far worse things before, and mouthy little punks like you _don't even come close _to measuring up to the big leagues like Shockwave, Devastator, or Megatron himself"

"Oh please!" Longrange scoffed, "If it were the big M himself I'd snipe his aft good! Fraggin' slag-head wouldn't even see me coming" he boasted

"Is that a fact? ..." Majestrix purred as she stepped out of the shadows and approached the cells; slightly taken aback, both mechs watched as she regarded them with a critical look: "...My brother did not suffer fools gladly, and snipers were pitiful excuses for solders in his opinion; he much preferred getting up close and personal, and seeing the look of terror in his opponent's face as they die; and letting them know that they didn't just lose, they _failed entirely_" she stated coldly.

"What are you doing down here?" Longrange asked curtly

"I have come to give you clarity: and an opportunity" she stated in a lighter tone, holding her hands behind her back

"Opportunity for what?"

"You'll know in a minute, but first, I want to offer you some wisdom to contemplate, and if you're willing to put your ego aside and listen, I want you to hear me out" she stated

"And why should I?" Longrange defiantly stated as he folded his arms

"You have a reason to doubt me?"

"Duh!" he scoffed, "What is there _not _to doubt about you!"

"Because I'm Megatron's sister? Or because I never told you truth to begin with?"

That threw Longrange off: unable to think of a reply he simply glared daggers at her. But this didn't put her off in the slightest, and she continued completely unfazed.

"...I wouldn't blame you if it were the latter, I've made many mistakes in the past and one of them was being overly wary of everyone (among other things). But as for the first; the fact that my brother was the most evil being in all creation does _not_ mean that _I_ am destined to become him...Believe it or not our families do not determine who we are, nor do our pasts have any bearing on how we shape our futures; I know that considering how long the war lasted that's quite a shot in the dark to believe. But regardless, I stand by that principle and no amount of bullying is going to sway me otherwise, you can say whatever you want of me, but I _will_ _not _live in self-doubt simply because _you_ don't believe in hope" she stated confidently.

"As if that's even supposed to matter; everyone knows what you are, I don't have to tell them" the young sniper huffed

"Then what am I young mech?" she shot him a harsh gaze, "The object of your ridicule for all the years of fighting, carnage and death? Or an excuse to blame for all your short-comings?"

Longrange stared at her in slight surprise as her tone grew darker, but remained calm and cool.

"I recruited you because at the time I admired your hatred, but now I _sorely_ regret having _ever _laid optics on you; I _never_ should've let you off your leash let alone _arm_ you. For all the hundreds of cons you've killed you've also endangered the lives of _thousands_ of bots under my and Optimus's command! When ordered to stand down you charge into the fray: when ordered to wait for back-up you carry on fighting regardless, and when ordered to go help your team-mates, you abandon them to go look for a bigger opponent to fight, leaving them vulnerable and open to attack! Our brothers and sisters, their bodies are_ still _lying at your feet, and not once did you _ever_ stop to think of the consequences of your actions!"

"If you hated me so much why didn't you just kill me?" he sneered

"Oh believe me, there were plenty of times I wanted you teach you a lesson! ..." she shot back, "But if I allowed myself to give into my anger so easily, and sink down to my brother's level, I wouldn't have the right to call myself an Autobot...I didn't hide away because of you, but for my daughter's sakes, to keep them away from mechs like _you_"

"_I don't believe this!"_ Longrange burst into laughter, "You recruit me because you wanted to kill Megatron as badly as _I_ did, and at the same time you're scared of what I would've done to your daughters if I found out they were _your_ creations? Primus you are _one sad femme!_", Majestrix didn't reply, and let the young mech continue; "Too damn right you had reason to fear me, I could think of a few things I could do to those brats if I knew _you_ were their mother"

"Well those 'few things' would've landed you right on my bad side, and _believe me, you do not, want to see my bad side. Ever_..." she growled before lightening up again, "But now, I don't have worry about them: their big girls now, they're all grown up, and are more than capable of mopping the floor with you" she smiled sweetly

"Oh come on, Eclipse? Please. Moonshine? Don't make me laugh! And Novastar? She-"

"-Can hack your personality matrix in her recharge and reprogramme you to make you think you're a six year old sparkling" she cut in bluntly,

"Please, that lil' turbo-mouse couldn't even say boo to a turbo-hare, she's not even good for spreading her plate's and-GAK!" quicker than a blink, Majestrix's hand shot through the stasis-field and gasped the sniper by the neck plates; she squeezed with such force that he couldn't even talk, but what shocked him even more was that the stasis-field hadn't sent her into stasis, in fact, it was hardly having any effect on her at all, not even paralyzing her arm as she held him through the field. After a moment, she let him go and he recoiled away, grasping his neck in pain.

"Fortunately," she changed the subject, "This is where the opportunity comes in"

"What-, *cough!* opportunity?" Longrange sneered, trying to vent air into his overheated systems.

"One of the many things I've _despised_ of you is your pronoid arrogance: the presumption that you're entitled to the victory of every fight you engage. Yesterday's spectacle was just pitiful, but today, we have a rare opportunity in which I'm going to _personally_ show you just what _a real bot_ can do in a fight..." she stated with an eager grin. "Why don't we have a wager? If you can beat me in a fight: fair or otherwise, you will be released from the brig; but, if you lose, you are to serve out the rest of your sentence without complaint. Sound fair?" she proposed

Longrange studied her for one long strained minute; and then his ego got the better of him, "_You wouldn't last ten second's in my sights_", he stated confidently.

"Then why don't we find out? I have a training session scheduled for this morning; everyone's waiting outside" she goaded him

"Then what are we still doing here?" he sneered with an obnoxious grin; as if on cue Ironhide disengaged the stasis-field and let the young sniper out of his cell, the seeker and weapon specialist flanked him either side as Majestrix took point and led the way.

'Gullible fool' Coldbore thought coldly as he sat in his cell and continued to sip his energon.

Once outside and on the training ground, everyone was surprised if not alarmed to see Longrange out of his cell, some were ready to give him a good chewing out, but Majestrix's harsh gaze told them to hold their vocalizers/tongues.

"What the hell's she doin'?!" Epps hissed

"Watch" Bishop simply stated with a smile, as Majestrix stepped forward to address the crowd. In typical commanding fashion she straightened up, held her hands behind her back, and slowly strode along the front of the crowd as she made her voice clear for all to hear.

"...As I'm sure some of you are aware, this last week has been a time of uneasy adjustment; for some of you that is a grave understatement, and for some of you it has been anything but fair, and for that I greatly apologize...My 'temporary aloofness' has caused more than one rift to divide opinions on this base, and my failure to be more decisive in enforcing the rules and equalizing the atmosphere has had repercussions; ones that could've been avoided in the first place. For this and more I offer you my s_incerest _apologies: and I can assure you that from now on I _will_ be 'pulling my weight' as often as I can. Starting with the reorganization of the training sessions, with _me_, as one of your trainers"

Most of the bots blinked in surprise, while others glanced at each other for an explanation to this.

"I understand this is quite a dramatic change, but after a long discussion with my sister on the subject, we both agreed this could bring a 'fresher' perspective to the way we regard our combat skills and tactical thinking (no offense Prowl)" Optimus stated to the crowd.

"None taken sir" the SIC respectively bowed to the Prime, "But I am curious" he turned to Majestrix, "What do you have to offer?"

"Hm..." Majestrix smirked with a wicked glint in her optic, "...A very good question. Tell me, how many of you have come face to face with my twin brother and lived?" she asked; the bots and humans all nervously looked at one another: Sam reluctantly put his hand up, as did Bumblebee, Elita-1, Ratchet, Ironhide, Jetfire, and one of two others who's faces were obscured by some of the larger bots standing in front of them. "Very good" the Prima nodded, "But tell me, did any of you last more than twenty minutes?"

No reply: and no show of hands.

"What I offer is firsthand experience; of all the bots to ever be the closet to the cons, I made it my mission to keep tabs on them at _all times_. Over the centuries I have trained some the best spies and double-agents in the Autobot ranks, deployed the very latest in cutting edge technology to spy on our enemy, and all the while remaining in the shadows of the war, _completely undetected_...But more than that, my twin brother and I grew up fighting together in the pits of Kaon, together we honed our power and technique; and by the time we underwent our finally upgrade neither of us could beat the other in combat. We were _that_ attuned. And it is that that knowledge plus my countless eons of personal and professional experience, that I will part to you..." she stated, before her tone took on a more zealous vibe, "By the time I am finished with you, you will be able to lay siege to _a whole army_ with one hand tied behind your backs; you will be able to move with such power and precision that even the _deadliest_ con wouldn't _dare_ to engage you in battle; and were my brother still alive, you will be able to dance around him _for hours on end"_

The way in which she spoke that last part had quite a few bots worried, while some were in awe as they basked in her aura.

**: A little excessive don't you think? :** Prime deadpanned sarcastically over Majestrix's privet comm frequency

**: Just setting the tone little brother; this isn't going to be a picnic so they might as well get the impression of what's in store: **she replied sweetly, the smirk in her voice only made Optimus huff internally; he didn't let it show on his face plates but his spark-mate Elita picked it up down their spark-bond; she couldn't help but smile, and sent him waves of strength and reassurance, which soothed his frustration instantly.

"That's sounds pretty cool" Trailbreaker perked up

"Indeed, and to give you all a better idea of the new training itinerary; Longrange here has kindly volunteered to assist me with a little demonstration" she smirked, glancing at the flabbergasted sniper with a devilish glint in her optics.

"WHAT!" Longrange exclaimed in alarm

"Oh now this is gonna be interesting!" Sunstreaker grinned widely, as did many of the other bots as they voiced their eagerness to see the young sniper get his aft whipped, and suddenly the vibe of the atmosphere changed from dubious caution to eager anticipation.

"YOU SAID-"

"I _said _this was going to be a fight" Majestrix cut him off, "I didn't mention it was going to be a demonstration _as well_"

Longrange glared daggers at her, but she merely smiled and led him out onto the training ground; opening a small subspace on her wrist, she pulled out a large bullet and handed it to the sniper, who glanced at her in confusion.

"What's this?" he asked

"You said I wouldn't last ten seconds in your sights? Why don't we put that to the test" she stated flatly; realizing what she was implying, Longrange activated his sniper weapon and loaded the bullet into the chamber.

"Remember, ten seconds is all you get, because after that, anything goes" she stated again

"Whatever" he scoffed, and then fired up his turbo boosters and blasted off into the sky at breakneck speed: activating his stealth mode and disappearing from sight. A deep thrum was the last tell-tale indication of his presence before the sky fell silent, and everyone watched and waited in tense anticipation.

For one long tense minute, Majestrix wandered out further onto the training ground, and looked around casually as if looking for something else; and then, she stood still and slowly looked around, as if listening to the wind as it blew across the desert. From where he was hovering at nine hundred feet, Longrange engaged his internal chronometer, and began the count-down.

10...9...8...

His sniping software had already lined up the shot, and calculated all the necessary variables like wind-speed, distance, ambient temperature and even the rotation of the earth, now all he had to do was aim.

...7...6...5...

Majestrix looked up and scanned the sky: she couldn't pick up anything, but her gut instinct had a good idea where he was hiding.

...4...3...2...

Longrange gently squeezed the trigger

Majestrix smirked as she activated her transformation sequence

...1...

Time slowed, and the moment became suspended as the bullet left the gun barrel and flew through the air; Majestrix transformed into her altmode, and just at the point where the bullet would've been within a foot of her helm, the last sequence of the transformation was in place, and as the bullet whistled past her wings and missed her intakes by centimeters, striking the ground with a sharp BANG! Her engines fired up with a thunderous roar, and time caught up again as she thundered into the sky at what seemed like mach 2.

Longrange didn't even have time to panic as she sharply arched up into the sky and slammed into him with such force that his engines cut out; dazed and disorientated, he rebooted his systems and engaged his turbo thruster, stabilizing just in time as the Prima came roaring down and tackled him in the side, holding him in place under her canopy with the power of her thrust. The force of her strike made his stealth mode glitch, and he reappeared once more; realizing he didn't have enough power to get out of her hold, he activated his canopy guns and aimed right at her cockpit. But the femme was onto him and with one sharp twist she dislodged him and moved away just as he fired; barrel-rolling up and around, she was right on his flank in an instant, and fired a volley of flaming ion-plasma rounds at point blank range right at his tail-fins and turbo-boosters forcing him to transform and dive to a lower altitude.

Transforming to keep up his pace, Majestrix effortlessly dodged every round he fired as he twisted and rolled, trying to throw her off and shoot her down at the same time. But the move was proving too hard for the young sniper to keep up, by twisting around at such high speed the shots were constantly missing their target, and by shooting so rapidly and not making the effort or time to properly line up the shots, the maneuver forced the sniper to constantly take his optics off the open sky ahead, leaving himself open to attack as he practically floundered all over the place.

After a few quick-paced minutes of ducking and dodging, Majestrix made her move and blindsided Longrange and he banked too sharply to the left; with one powerful burst of her engines and one hard punch, she sent the sniper plummeting down like a meteor, and striking the ground with a thunderous crash: less than sixty feet from the crowd.

As the dust settled, Longrange scrambled to his feet and activated his wrist-guns; he barely had time to register what was going on when Majestrix blasted down struck the ground with such force that she created a miniature shock-wave that knocked the sniper (and everyone else) right off his feet. Charging at an impossible speed, Majestrix's wings folded back and her wrist-blades shot out of her arms with a sharp SHINK! As she jumped and flipped over the sniper, she reached down and sliced part of his abdomen and chest armor clean off before landing ten feet away, the sniper scrambled back up and fired. But Majestrix dodged each shot effortlessly, and came in again to slice another section of his armor off, and then another, and another, and another. Within less than a minute a third of Longrange's upper body armor was gone and scattered around at his feet, and all the while Longrange fired round after round as he tried to keep up with her, but his rising anger made him sloppy and reckless, and she just left him eating her dust.

Everyone watched in amazement and awe; watching how she fought, it wasn't difficult to see how alike she was to Megatron: she was precise, well-timed, every strike counted, and not one foot or blade fell out of place, even by a millimeter. But at the same time, Majestrix _wasn't_ like him in so many ways; she was elegant, graceful, mesmerizing: she moved as though she were a whip of spring air, delicate and fragile as she effortlessly flew over the ground like a ballet dancer, and yet she moved with such speed, and struck with all the force of a hurricane; powerful, unwavering, and unstoppable. All the while, the one thing that was predominant was her serenity, the calm look on her face was quite the opposite of her twin; while he had engaged every battle fueled by his rage and lust for power, Majestrix's strength was fueled by something entirely different. No one could put their finger on it, but whatever it was it wasn't what they had expected of her, and as they watched her fight, a sense of respect began to creep in where doubt had once been; and in the back of their minds, something said: maybe she's not so bad after all?

After a few minutes of toying around with Longrange, Majestrix jumped and did a triple back-flip, landing on a narrow thirty foot column-like bolder some forty feet away. Longrange was panting hard as he tried to get air to his overheating systems, practically half of all his armor had been sliced off, exposing parts of his protoform armor, circuits and wires underneath. He was now in a dangerously vulnerable position, but his self-centered ego had him more concerned with trying to put the femme down as appose to trying to find cover or deploy a different tactic.

Even though she now practically _owned _his aft, he was still too blinded by his anger to see he was outmatched, and without warning he aimed and kept on firing. But much to the crowd's amazement, Majestrix just stood there casually and content, effortlessly deflecting each shot with her left blade with such minimum effort that she was hardly concerned that this was a fight at all. With a sweet yet smug smile she glanced down at the sniper casually and looked away again: like a cat eying its owner, with an aura of superiority emanating from her on every level.

"Well I have to say, your tenacity certainly knows no bounds" Majestrix purred as she deflected another shot. "That shot would've probably hit its mark if you had taken the trouble to go all the way up into orbit"

"Considering it's you I wanted to make sure you had no chance!" Longrange spat back.

"You _do_ realize that's an oxymoron?" Majestrix raised an optic ridge, "A bullet going at nine hundred feet a second? A second's all I need to get out of the way; I'd have thought you'd have enough common sense to work even _that _basic math out"

"Like you even _have_ any sense! You're just standing there!" he sneered

"And you're barely standing as it is: half your amour's gone and you haven't thought to try and protecting yourself" she stated coolly

"I'll outlast this fight just fine! It's _you_ who should be trying to protect yourself!" Longrange shouted angrily; half the crowd facepalmed in sheer disbelief: _was this guy serious? _Majestrix simply regarded the sniper with a sarcastic deadpan look and sarcastically sighed: "Oh fine, let's get this fight started shall we?"

Longrange stopped firing and stared at her bug-eyed, wondering if he heard her right or if his CPU glitched for a split second. The rest of the bots and humans stared at her in disbelief too.

"Start?" was all Longrange could utter.

"What? You thought _that_ was the fight? Please, that was but a warm-up. _This_ is the fight" Majestrix grinned, everyone stared in shock and amazement, while Prime simply crossed his arms and sighed: _'And here we go'_ he thought.

Without warning Majestrix leapt off the bolder and came at Longrange full on; she dodged each shot and in one flip she sliced the guns off his wrists; but the sniper was quick as he immediately activated his own wrist blades and tried to swipe at the femme. But this time she cut loose and moved with much more force and speed; dancing around the sniper, forcing him to keep turning and twisting so as to keep her in sight: as she sped up the momentum and dizzying moves began to throw the sniper's balance off more and more, until finally Longrange thrust forward to strike and tripped over his own feet. Majestrix didn't waste a second as she swung down, grabbed the sniper by his ankle, and effortlessly tossed him forty feet in the air. As the sniper tried to fire up his thrusters, she leapt up and sliced one of his wings clean off; with a howl of pain he dropped back down to the ground, and barely had time to move as Majestrix landed square on his back, painfully pining him down on his front. She brought one of her blades down to the side of his face and asked, "Do you yield?"

But despite the pain, Longrange wasn't about to let her have the satisfaction of victory: "Like frag!" he growled, and activated one of his shoulder guns, aiming straight up at her face at point blank range; Majestrix back-flipped out of the way just as he let lose several rounds. The sniper scrambled to his feet and tried pin the femme down: but she had other ideas, and quick as Blurr she moved round to get in close again; taking a swipe at the sniper's forehead and leaving a deep cut right over his optics.

"HA! You missed!" he scoffed, "It's just a cut!"

"Yes, a cut that's now bleeding into your optics" she replied

Before he could try to figure out what she meant, Longrange's found his sight suddenly began to grow blurry as energon bled from the wound and seeped down onto his optics, obscuring his vision by over two thirds; she moved in to deliver another few blows that knocked him back, but he remained standing. "Like I need optics to find you! I still have my scanners!" he shouted out in defiance.

But Majestrix didn't reply as she came at him again and again, delivering blow after blow, cut after cut, moving so fast that Longrange could now hardly keep up at all; his optics were practically useless, and his scanners could barely register her as she danced around him, her erratic moves threw him off completely, and as he blindly tried to swipe at her she took advantage of each missed strike to deliver another blow.

But the young sniper wasn't going down, and as his anger reached boiling point, Majestrix smirked as she readied her blades and charged yet again.

"Oh boy" Darren breathed as watched in mortified awe

"Doesn't take a genius to see what's coming next" Sideswipe grinned wildly

And indeed, the scene played out as most had anticipated it would; Longrange snapped and tried to go postal on the femme, but in one effortless move she ducked his attempt to hit her; she brought her fist up, and with one hard frame-shattering punch she sent him flying over five hundred feet. Everyone gawked in sheer shock as the sniper flew through the air and slammed into the side of a huge hundred and fifty ton boulder with such force that the rock cracked and split straight down the middle.

There was a moment of silence, before the crowd breathed a sigh of awe. Allowing herself a little moment to bask in the victory, Majestrix politely bowed in thanks, and gestured to Ratchet to come over to her, the medic obliged and went to see what she wanted. "Take him to the med-bay and weld his wing back on, along with everything else I sliced off; after that, have Ironhide and Jetfire put him back in the brig" she ordered, pointing to the now half dazed half semi-conscious Longrange, "Yes ma'am" he replied, and went to see to his patient. Majestrix wandered back over to the crowd with a content smile, and was met with a mix of awe and amazement.

"Dude: that was just-...wow..." was all Miles found he could say as he stared up at her

"Well thank you for not killing him" Optimus deadpanned,

"Please" Majestrix waved off playfully, "If I'd wanted to kill him I would've put on a much better show than that playful little run-around", she smirked as she turned to address the crowd, "Now that the demonstration's over, I hope you all took notes, because we'll start the training off with a nice little game of 'dodge-the-bullet'"

As the bots voiced their eagerness to participate; Blackshot watched from where she was perched on the opposite side of the gorge; arms folded, and watching with a stone-cold poker face.

At the same time, some way away from the training ground, Eclipse passed a sneer as she watched her mother, and stormed off in frustration.

* * *

Later that day, late afternoon/early evening:

"Agh, I'm aching in places I didn't know I had" Sideswipe moaned in misery

"You're telling me, I didn't think my tires could hurt _this_ much" Smokescreen wined as he sank under the water.

"You were lucky, that boulder nearly hit me in the face, instead it landed on my foot" Hot Rod gripped

"You think _that_ was bad? I nearly got my aft blown off when she lobbed that grenade at me!" Sunstreaker shot back

The wash-racks were full this evening as the bots washed off the dirt, soot and sand from the day's training session, and to try and cool their systems with a splash of soothing cold water. Majestrix's caliber and level of demand had proven to be, well? _Quite_ demanding (which was an understatement for most), and she certainly hadn't made light of the fact that when you train under her, you gave a thousand and one percent, _period_; a fact that some, had discovered the hard way.

"But still, it was nice to watch the idiot get his aft whooped" Ironhide grinned

"Yeah, I guess it was worth it to see him get slugged like that" Sunstreaker grinned, to which most of the other bots voiced their agreement

"But still, if we have her for combat training again, I'm gonna be upgrading my stinger-guns" Bumblebee sighed, "there's _no way_ I can keep up with her if she's gonna be putting us through those kinda paces"

"At least you did a great job" Sam commented as he wiped Bumblebee's windshield with a squeegee, "Heck I haven't seen you pull those kinda flips in ages"

As the bots continued to discuss the day's action, aboard the Black Solstus Majestrix was sitting in her office filling out some paperwork that had been left in her in-tray. A light knock on the door brought her out of her concentration, and looked up to see Blackshot enter. With yesterday's discussion suddenly pricking up at the back of her mind, Majestrix gazed at the femme with an unreadable look.

"Can I come in?" Blackshot asked politely

"Have a seat" Majestrix offered, and Blackshot sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. "What can I do for you?" she asked; the tone of her voice told her yesterday's argument was still fresh in her mind.

"...I saw the fight earlier today" Blackshot said in an unusually soft tone, "Using Longrange like that might have been a tad unethical, but it certainly seemed to win over some trust"

"Unethical?" Majestrix raised an optic ridge, "Your one to talk" she flatly stated. Knowing what she meant by that, Blackshot stopped herself from biting back and simply sighed through her vents. "I'm a cynic, there's no secret about that" she stated reluctantly.

"That's an understatement"

"But I do pride myself on approaching everything from a logical angle; and logic doesn't leave room for emotional baggage"

"For some it does not, but for the rest of us, even the most hardened fighter can allow himself to feel an ounce of pain or joy whenever it suits his spark" Majestrix stated, "Something you've never fully allowed yourself to do"

"I'm not sentimental", Blackshot stated, "Nor do I need to be"

"...Need? Or won't?" Majestrix asked. That caught Blackshot off guard; sensing she wasn't as riled as she was yesterday, Majestrix studied the femme with a soft yet unreadable gaze, "...You've never been comfortable when people get close to your personal space, nor do you have enough humility to find humour in the flaws in your own character: forgive me if this come off as blunt, but you're not going to do yourself any favours by isolating yourself from the rest of the base" she frowned.

"I did not come to engage in another argument" Blackshot stated flatly,

"...I know. And you didn't answer my original question" Majestrix stated coolly, "What can I do for you?"

With a hint or reluctance in her optics, Blackshot vented softly and replied: "...For starters, I'm not sorry for the things I said: I stand by my opinion of our circumstances as they are now, and do not believe it is totally inconceivable that the defectors could still be cons, or that the humans could be a serious threat if they decide to turn on us. It's not a question of being sentimental or cynical; it's a question of seeing the facts as they are, and anticipating what they could transpire into. As a tactician it's my job to assume the worst case scenario, and as my commander I would expect you to extend _some_ professional courtesy and at least acknowledge that things may not stay as they are in the long-run"

For a long uncertain moment Majestrix let her gaze drift off into space as she pondered the notion; despite her cynicism Blackshot _did_ have a point, and as such she had no right to refute a legitimate argument. "As you're commander I _always_ had respect and trust in your abilities Blackshot: _that_, is not in doubt; but my confidence in your personal handling of others is. This last week has been hard enough without you harshly criticizing the other bots and trying to demean the humans, but what you tried to do with Jay-jay wasn't just unprofessional, it was outright cruel..." she stated flatly, "...I told you, _all_ of you from the start that Prime's troops don't roll the way we used to, they haven't had the same technological advantages as we have, and they aren't 'hardcore' specialists. This isn't about trying to bring everyone up to our caliber: it's about learning to get along together, something you've overlooked on more than one occasion..."; Majestrix paused a moment, her tone turning softer, more concerned: "Look, Blackshot...as your friend I worry for you; the more you keep everyone away the harder it's going to be for them to have confidence in you, and if you get into a fight and no one's willing to cover your back because their too scared or frustrated to trust you, I dread to think what would happen...and worse still, you'll have no one but yourself to blame"

Blackshot stilled, but said nothing at first as she pondered on Majestrix's logic:

"...A good point" she admitted reluctantly, "...But lowering one's standards to suit everyone else's social desires is not logical; it's an open invitation to expose your vulnerabilities"

"Perhaps, but in this case there in an exception; being open about your feelings does not make you weak, if anything it shows you have honesty and no secrets to hide, and that's something a lot of people around here appreciate. Don't look at this as a fall in standards, but rather, an exercise in one's ability to gain 'experience'" Majestrix explained, "You may not be comfortable with others Blackshot, but like it or not this world is a small one, everyone everywhere relies on someone else for their survival: and regardless of anything else, we _all_ have to have someone we can trust"

Blackshot sighed, and in a rare and brief expression of emotion, she gazed at Majestrix somewhat forlornly: "...I know, why do you think I stuck around with you all these eons?" she offered a small smile before turning serious again, "Despite everything, I never left your side"

"I know..." Majestrix offered an apologetic look, "And for all those times I needed help I will never be able to thank you enough..." she paused a moment as a slightly sad look came over her, "...But why do you have to make things so difficult?"

"I'm stubborn, there's not lying about that"

"It's not just that; at every turn you can't, _or won't_ wish to see the up side of anything good. It's either not good enough, or it's compromised in one way or another. I let you stay because I still want our friendship to_ mean_ something, not just to me but to _you_ as well: and what of Swiftshot? I know you've both had your issues in the past but she's still your sister, surely she can't be below your pride as well?"

Blackshot didn't reply, and Majestrix didn't press her.

"...You said, 'for starters' before: is there anything else you'd like to voice?" the commander changed the subject.

"Yes, just one other thing" the black femme sighed: "...Say for the sake of the argument that I am wrong, that the defectors really have no love for their former fraction anymore, and that the humans only interest in us is one of maintaining a peaceful relationship. None of that is of consequence; but with Starscream and Barricade unaccounted for it's not a question of _if_ the cons will return but _when_, and if they discover the seekers and drones are on our side now, there will be attempts to exact revenge for their betrayal. And as you well know, the one thing the cons hate more than us is one of their own turning sides"

"I have already considered this, and Optimus too is not blind to the possibility that a revenge attack could be a likely scenario. Regardless of what the cons have in mind we will remain vigilant and ready as always. In addition to helping out with the live-fire combat training, I also talked to my brother about helping to improve the base's security protocols" Majestrix explained, "If its security you're worried about, perhaps an advisory position with Prowl might be the thing for you?"

Blackshot dropped her gaze in thought, "...I don't know, perhaps?"

"I'll have a word with Optimus, see what he thinks of it: but personally I think you need something to occupy your focus again, and while the second in command may not be one for seeing the cube half full, he is prudent and attentive in his duty, something you might be able to tolerate"

"He isn't one for idleness, I'll give you that" Blackshot admitted, "But still, after what happened the day before my presence may not be tolerated so well by the others. Not that I care, but it'll make for an annoying nuisance"

"After today, I don't think the subject will be a prime concern" Majestrix then turned serious, "But _do not_ think this is my way of 'bailing' you out; I'm offering you an opportunity to make amends and to _earn_ everyone's respect. Do you understand?"

"Yes commander" Blackshot frowned slightly, "...And what of 'Jay-jay'?"

"Like I said before: she will remain with her guardians, and you are _not_ to be alone with her, understand?"

"Yes" she huffed, "Anything else?"

Majestrix thought a moment, and then replied, "...Think better on your pessimism, and try keep an open mind on everything, and_ everyone_"

"As you wish..." Blackshot got up and headed for the door, but before she left, she turned back and added: "One other thing... I can't say I'm confident about this"

"I know," Majestrix nodded in understanding, "All I ask is that you try, okay?"

"...Only for you Majestrix..." the black femme sighed, and quietly left the room. Majestrix got up from her chair and wandered over to the window that looked down on the Black Solstus's bridge, as her thoughts began to ponder on the conversation, at the back of her mind a small disconcerting sense of unease began to make her question her own logic, and she wondered to herself: 'Did I really do her a favor, or did I just make things more complicated?'

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

The rec-room was busy tonight as bots and humans alike gathered for their end-of-day refreshments and sat down to chat and mingle with friends; the morning's training session had everyone buzzing with excitement, and at the same time tired with fatigue as they discussed the fight between Majestrix and Longrange.

Some way down the corridor, the faint sounds of the rec-room drifted into the base's central computer hub, where Teletran-1's main terminal was situated: tonight the Autobot's AI was dormant as his systems quietly ticked over, keeping tabs on all the activity on the base. Everything from security camera feeds to the air ventilation control system ran through him, enabling him to keep watch over anything and everything that was happening in real time. In the adjacent room next door was the base's security hub; there Red Alert had his optics trained on all the security camera feeds (as usual), watching and studying for anything that would make his mental alarm bells go off (how the mech had the mental stamina for such a paranoid task was beyond anyone's comprehension), while sitting at the computer terminal on the opposite side of the room, Deathshot was on monitor duty tonight: it wasn't the mech's ideal task but he didn't really mind.

Sitting atop the terminal's monitor, just below the mass of cables and wires that snaked across the ceiling: Morri, Ashley and Ravage quietly kept the sniper company while Morri sorted through some paper work. Every now and then Red Alert would peer over his shoulder to make sure the drone hadn't moved from his spot; the thought of being in the same room with one of Soundwave's creations unnerved him to no end: the ripples of panic and worry emanated from his mind like the buzzing of bees, loud and constant, and it delighted Ravage to no end as he sat there grinning smugly at the security officer, playing on his fears.

"Give it a rest Ravage, I don't think Ratchet's in a mood to be fixing Red Alert if he glitches again" the sniper drolled as he regarded the drone with deadpan look.

"Just keeping him on his peds" the drone smiled as he flopped over on his side and stretched out his limbs, "Besides, Ratchet's _never _in a mood to fix _his_ glitches; but still, a month and week without a single one? That's gotta be a new record" he joked slyly; the sniper rolled his optics and shook his head.

"Only because you weren't around for that one month, so I don't think that really counts" Morri said offhand as she sorted out her stack of data-pads and wrote something down on the clipboard she held in one hand.

"I suppose?" the panther yawned nonchalantly, "Still, it must have been such a reprieve for him"

"You know, I _can_ hear you!" Red Alert called across the room in frustration.

"So you do pay attention to other things" Ravage mockingly joked, "And there's me thinking we would have to let you and the monitors have some 'alone time' together" he sniggered, the security officer huffed in frustration and turned back to the monitors. At that moment, the doors opened and Velocity walked in.

"You're twenty minutes late! What took you so long?" Red Alert vented

"Sorry, I had to finish up some other work" she replied hastily

"Not my problem, when it's on _my_ time you keep it, _not_ your own understand?" he replied flatly, "Yes sir" she nodded, "Okay, you're on terminal three tonight: pull up and chair and get to work on reviewing the access code roster" the security officer pointed to the terminal next to Deathshot's; the femme sat herself down next to the mech, switched on the terminal and got to work.

"Did you catch the fight this morning?" she glanced across at Deathshot, being careful to keep her voice down.

"Yes" he replied flatly, "did you?"

"Come on, who _wouldn't_ want to see that idiot get his aft handed to him?" she smirked, "Long time overdue"

"That, I agree" he nodded

"I didn't see you at the training session afterwards; did you have other things to do?"

"The wiring in H-block's main terminal needed replacing, took longer than I thought"

"I would've stayed, but the gun cages needed cleaning; not the most glamorous job, but the solitude's good for doing some thinking" she replied offhand

Deathshot glanced sideways at her, curious, but he didn't let it show, "...So what gives?" he asked flatly.

"What?"

"It's not like you to make small talk, _polite_ small talk at that: so why the approachable attitude?" he asked; Velocity stopped typing and paused for a moment. As they watched from their perch, the two human's and drones caught the mixed look of hesitation and doubt in her optics, as she softly sighed through her vents and looked across at the sniper.

"...I've been doing a lot of thinking..." she admitted with a hint of uncertainty

"About?"

"What you said the other day: about how you don't see yourself the same way anymore...It kinda got me thinking about how we see ourselves and what we value"

He glanced at her with a slightly weird look.

"Yeah, I know, 'me and personal values' don't usually exist in the same context" she waved off jokingly before turning serious, "But this time, what you said _did_ make me stop and think, and it wasn't so much _what _you said as_ how_ you said it..." she paused again, "...When I heard that you defended Thundercracker from Longrange, that really surprised me; I mean, I knew you said everything had changed for you, but I didn't know it had _changed_ that much you know? ...To be honest? I don't even recognize you anymore..." she said the latter with a hint of regret.

Deathshot stopped and sighed: "...It's not a question of changing because I 'just felt like it': it was out of necessity; when I came to earth I learnt the hard way that things were different now, and I either had to adapt and survive or get left behind. Fortunately I discovered that life can be surprising in nice ways: and living for someone gives your own life purpose and meaning again" he glanced up at Morri and Ashley with a small smile.

Velocity noticed them too, and pondered a moment as something else came to mind; "Do you have any regrets?"

Deathshot paused a moment to think, "...Nothing that keeps me awake at night; and certainly nothing I haven't already faced and moved on from. Whatever comes next? I don't know, but I make it a rule to roll with the punches: not go looking for them or wondering and worrying which direction their going to come from. Life's too short to fret over and risk missing the good things that pass us by" he replied

"That's kinda odd" Velocity smirked

"Huh?" Deathshot glanced at her with a weird look, but when he realized what just he said, he couldn't help but chuckle, "That's what I get for living around humans too long"

For a moment both sniper's stopped and looked at each other: despite the smile on his face, inside Deathshot found this to be rather odd if not a little usual, this was the first time he'd ever seen Velocity _actually_ taking an interest in something important, and not making a tasteless mockery of it. Was she up to something? Or (dare he think it), had she actually had a change a change of spark? Knowing her, the chances were very slim: but hey, if two of Megatron's most loyal seekers could turn their tails fins up at the cons, why shouldn't someone like Velocity be capable of taking a step back and assessing how they view the world? It was quite improbable, but not impossible. Deciding to air on the side of caution, Deathshot stopped himself from completely cutting loose with the femme, and simply decided to keep the conversation on this level as it was.

"...That's another thing I've been trying to figure out" Velocity said offhand, "I read Prime's report about what happened at Mission City. Is it really true that Sam took on 'the big M' by himself?"

Deathshot paused, the humans both stilled, waiting to see which way this would go; but with a smooth cool exterior, the mech simply replied, "Yes he did"

Velocity let her gaze drop, "...I just find it-, unbelievable"

"At a causal glance I couldn't get my processor round it too; but when I got to know Sam and got to see who he really was. I realized Prime made the right choice in giving him the cube" Deathshot offered

"So he could destroy it?"

"That was out of both Sam and Prime's control: Megatron had the upper hand and they were both left with no choice. No one blames him for the choice he made; Prime would've done the same"

"Yeah, but at the expense of the Allspark? Surly there must have been another way"

Deathshot stilled: "...There was no other way, and blaming that boy for our loss won't change anything or serve any purpose other than to remain stuck in the past...Everyone has moved on, why can't the rest of us do the same?"

A look of something resembling regret came over Velocity's optics as she leaned back in her chair, and seemed to ponder on the mech's words. Morri and Ashley both glanced at each other, but Ravage studied her owlishly.

**: Security? :** Arcee came through on the security hubs open comm line.

"We read you, what's the problem?" Red Alert asked

**: Mudflap and Skids have been teasing the turbo-tigers again and Whiteclaw's got them both pinned down; we've called Majestrix but-, well? We could use another set of hands here:**

"Okay I'll send someone down" Red Alert huffed, "Velocity?"

"Uh?-," the femme was suddenly stirred from her thoughts, "-Yeah, coming..." she hastily replied as she got up and left without another word.

"Is it just me or did she seem a little more 'friendlier' than usual?" Ashley raised an eyebrow.

"I'm surprised too," Deathshot confessed with a bemused frown, "It's not like her to contemplate things of an 'emotionally attached' nature; she usually takes delight in mocking that kind of thing"

"Think she's had a change of heart?" the pre-teen hybrid asked

Deathshot stilled as he contemplated the notion for a moment: "...I wouldn't rush to conclusions..." was all he could offer, and got back to work again.

"What do you think?" Morri asked Ravage

"If it wasn't for the counter-telepathy I'd know right away..." he purred as he sat up, "As it is, it's hard to say, and although I'm hard-pressed to believe it, she _could_ be legit, but-, then again..."

"What? ..." Ashley pressed him: the panther paused for a long moment as he thought about it.

"...I don't know..." was all he found he could say; the two cousins gazed at one another, wondering what he meant by that.

As they continued to watch the monitors, the bots and humans continued to chat on various other topics of interest. But next door: something or someone was stirring in the computer lab. Amid the dim lighting, a humanoid shadow moving across the floor was the only indication of the stranger's presence, as they made their way to one of the access terminals in the side Teletran-1 main systems drive. Their fingers delicately flew over the keyboard as they accessed the AI's central processing unit.

**: Alert, who is there? :** Teletran called out in a flat electronic monotone voice; the AI activated its scanners, but no one was there, the room was completely empty.

**: No life form's detected: conclusion, minor system malfunction; solution, reboot software and run diagnostic to eliminate potential glitches: **

With the AI distracted, the stranger got back to work, and placed a small circular device on top of the terminal; when the device flashed green, file after file of data began scrolling across the screen, and the stranger read on with intense interest...

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

**: Hey, it's me, are you there? :**

"**Yeah I'm here, but-, how did you manage to get on this frequency?:**

**: I relayed the comm frequency to filler through my own personal scrambler: it's attuned to the same encrypted frequencies at Telean-1's main comm lines so we'll have relative privacy: **

**: How did you do that? :**

"**Doesn't matter, but that's not why I'm here:**

**: Then why'd you call us? Is there a problem? :**

**: Not per-sae; I'm calling to inform you all there might have to be a slight amendment to the plan, we're not the only ones on this base who've got a hidden agenda:**

**: What'd you mean? :**

**: A few minutes ago my personal MSS detected Teletran-1 activating a reboot of the computer hub's security system:**

**: And that's important because? : **

"**I hacked into the computer hub's security feed and motion detectors and ran a real-time software-sweep of the whole system. Someone had bypassed the security software with a type-6 stealth virus, and deliberately fooled the AI into thinking it had a glitch:**

**: A type-6 stealth virus? Are you sure? :**

**: Where are they now? :**

**: Their gone, but looking at the system's data-tracker programme this isn't the first time they've hacked the AI:**

**: Did you find out who it is? : **

**: Unfortunately no, there are only a handful of individuals on this base that could manipulate a virus of that complexity, and all of them were accounted for at the time of the hack:**

**: Wait-, your saying someone **_**snuck onto the base?**_** :**

**: It would appear so: **

**: Has anything else happened? :**

**: For now no, and until I can get to the bottom of this I'm ordering all of you to stay low and don't do anything without my checking in with me first, understood?: **

**: Who do you think it could be? :**

: **I don't know, but the data's suggesting this intruder's been here for a while; whether they're hiding in a secret lair somewhere on the base or are hiding in plain sight remains to be seen, but for the time being we're going to have to tread very carefully. For all we know they could be listening in on this conversation as we speak, and if they know what we're up to the whole mission will be compromised:**

**: Fine, but how're you going to root them out? :**

**: I have a few ideas: my personal MSS is keeping tabs on the whole base's security network and personnel tracker system, that should be a good place to start; as for searching the base physically? I'll have to think of something:**

**: Okay, but what will you do when you find them? :**

**: The usual, question them as to what they know, and kill them:**

**: Simple as that eh? :**

**: The plan takes priority no matter what; we're not on a time limit but at the same time we don't have the luxury of being able to pick and choose how we conclude the mission...For now, go about your duties and let me take care of the intruder, I'll update you as soon as I have something: **

**: Wait-, before you go, there's one other thing;**

**: Yes? : **

**: What about **_**her?**_** Is she still a part of this mission? Or is she a liability now? :**

**: No, she's actually done us a favor: by keeping **_**them**_** distracted we can work in relative peace; her device has been a malfunctioning lately but that will be amended soon enough:**

**: Maybe we could use the intruder as a part-time CPU-dead lackey? :**

**: Providing their cybertronian that is:**

**: No, this 'spy' will die, and their secrets along with them; if there's one thing I can't **_**stand**_** it's when some upstart thinks they're the one in control. Like I said before, I'll update you all when I have something, over and out: **

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

"Who're you talking to?" Moonshine noticed Eclipse standing in the corridor with her comm activated.

"Just Portia" she replied flatly, "What're you up to?"

"Looking for you: you didn't check in with Warpath to review and confirm the weapons register for the gun cages, he's been waiting nearly half an hour for you" the dragon-femme folded her arms as she gave her sister a reprimanding look.

"I asked Beachcomber to cover me, I've got other things to do" she stated flatly

"Like what?" she pressed her

"Like checking out that hemogon?" She sarcastically retorted, "Ratchet and Perceptor weren't entirely forthcoming about the origins of that substance, and I wanted to know why"

"Maybe because it's classified?" Moonshine retorted in equal sarcasm, "I talked to uncle Optimus about it earlier, and he says the matter is not to be looked into, period! And that _especially_ goes for you!" she jabbed her clawed finder at her chest plates.

"What? Why?" the femme exclaimed

"Because he said so! Some things are kept classified for a reason 'Clips! It's not a conspiracy it's just the way it is; I'd have thought you of all people would appreciate that"

"Classified or not, I still have a right to know if the hybrid is a cause for concern"

"Somehow, I don't think that's the case, don't you think if he was he'd be confided to the med-bay or the brig? For Primus sake 'Clips he's no threat to anyone!"

"Oh really? It doesn't strike you as odd that his frame design has the same format codes as Ravage's? That he's been formatted to the drones same weapon's specs?"

"Agh! I don't care!" the dragon-femme huffed in annoyance, "Ever since this morning you've been in a _worse_ mood than ever! Who fragged you off this time? ..." she demanded, but Eclipse only regarded her with a pissed off brooding look, suddenly realizing who the object of her annoyance was, Moonshine frowned in frustration and stepped up to her sister with a harsh ire stare. "So it's_ that_ again is it? Well what do you hope to bully her with_ this_ time? Her technique? Did she punch Longrange with the wrong fist? Or did she just not take the fight seriously enough for your taste?" she stated facetiously.

"She's kidding herself if she thinks that demonstration was going to impress anyone!" Eclipse spat back

"Oh? Well everyone else would beg to differ; weren't you in the rec-room earlier? Everyone can't _stop talking_ about her, and not just because she put Longrange in his place" Moonshine stated matter-of-factly.

"Their all fools if they think she's not like _him_!"

"For Primus sake Eclipse shut up and give it a rest! _She is not like him_ and you fraggin' well know it! She's our mother! She's loved us, cared for us, trained and armed us, she's given the better part of her life to us and this is how you repay her?!" Moonshine angrily retorted

"She left us to die!" Eclipse angrily exclaimed

"That's not true! She made _one_ mistake!"

"One mistake that nearly cost us our lives! Have you forgotten that?!"

"No I haven't, but I've long since put it behind me a moved on; it's high time you did the same!" Moonshine argued, "Ever since that day you've done nothing but remind her _and us_ where she comes from, she _knows_ the legacy her twin brother left behind and there's not a day goes by she doesn't regret not stopping him sooner! Its way past the point of demeaning spite, you're a sparkless femme who wouldn't know kindness or mercy if it walked up to you and smashed you in the face-plates! Isn't it enough that you have to kill every good thing that comes our way, you have to keep dredging up the past and leaving it open to fester like a rusting wound? You have no sense of sensibility or enough humility to know when you're wrong! And it's about high time you-"

"That's enough Moonshine" Majestrix ordered as she stepped out from the shadows, taking the two femmes aback a little.

"But mother I-"

"I know sweet-spark, but I don't need you to defend me at every turn..." the older femme gently stroked her daughter's cheek-plate, and turned to her attention to the still angry Eclipse. "...Moonshine makes a good point Eclipse, I did make a mistake once, and even now it _still_ comes back to haunt me: knowing what _could've_ happened? It doesn't bare thinking about. But why can't you put it behind you and move on? Was it such a terrible experience that it scarred you in some way? Because if it did, you have no idea how much I would regret not being there for you sooner" she pleaded.

"It's not just that day, every time I see you I see _him!_" Eclipse spat, "This whole war was as much your fault as it was his! Our friends and brothers died trying to destroy him, and you had _the nerve_ to stay in hiding while the carnage carried on all around us?!"

"I already told you: we _had_ to stay hidden so I can keep you and your sister's safe, if we didn't remain hidden in the ship he would've found us through sensing the proximity of my spark. That was _not_ a risk I could take" Majestrix stated firmly, "There was nowhere I could go without him knowing about it through our spark-bond: as much as I wished it hadn't been so I had no choice, and it's only now, knowing that he is dead and rusting deep beneath the ocean that I can breathe easy, safe in the knowledge he will never be able get his claws on you"

Eclipse stilled a moment, and in a calmer tone asked: "Why couldn't you have tried anyway? You fight like him, you could beat him easy"

Majestrix sighed, Moonshine gently placed her hand on her shoulder and leaned in to stroke her hand, "...It is not that simple sweet-spark; true we trained together, but you have _no idea_ what he was like when he fought: the ferocity and sheer sparklessness of his madness was something I could never match, and _would never want to_, if I were to do that I could never forgive myself for the consequences that would ensue, and for your sakes I would _never_ dare to take such a reckless risk"

"I find that hard to believe"

"Believe what you want, but I am your mother; I had to make _a lot_ of calculated risks to keep you and sisters safe: making sure not a single spark besides Blackshot, Crystalwing and Portia knew of your existence, before the time came _I knew _you could defend yourselves in a fight _and win_. I have invested half my life to you so you could keep yours; does _that not mean anything_ to you my daughter? ..."

Eclipse didn't reply: Majestrix gently approached her, holding out a hand as a gesture of kindness, "Why must the past have such a bearing on your life for so long? Is it not enough that the Division is all but gone? That our friends and brothers are rusting on the slag heaps after a lifetime of service and duty? Must every good thing in the universe be gone from existence before you will be satisfied that the reality of this war has been as such? ...Every time I look in the mirror I see him too, is it not enough that I bare his legacy in my very existence, but _my own daughter_, whom I love and care for most dearly, has to remind me of _the one person I hate more than anyone else in this whole universe_? ..." she pleaded.

Eclipse didn't reply as she thought about her mother's words: "...Do you really contemplate on your sins?"

"...More than I should some days, and if it satisfy's you I have no pride in any of them"

"No, it doesn't satisfy me, because _all I want_ is to see you suffer and broken, just like our brothers did when you sent them to their deaths" Eclipse stated coldly

"They died honorable deaths, they all did, even Prime's bots when he sent them to Tyger Pax" her mother replied

"But that's the big difference there isn't it? Optimus was willing to die _alongside_ his troops, while you cowered away on your ship out of sight!" Eclipse argued

"I told you I-"

"I don't want to hear anymore of your excuses!" Eclipse shouted, "Primus your pathetic! Nothing but excuse after excuse, all because you can't own up to fact you were scared and didn't have the brass bearings to meet Megatron in battle, or did he tell you through your bond to be a good little femme and stay out of it?!-"

WHACK!

Moonshine slapped Eclipse hard, making her helm snap back with such force that she nearly fell over backwards; stunned for a moment, Eclipse stared at her in surprise as she looked up at her pleadingly with hurt in her optics; Majestrix too was a little taken aback, until she noticed the little trickle of energon escaping from her lips. "Here, let me see that-" she moved forward to get a better look. But Eclipse swatted her hand away "Don't touch me!" she spat and stormed off in the other direction, leaving her mother and sister where they stood.

"...I'm so sorry mother, I shouldn't have-"

"No my darling, don't-" Majestrix was quick to assure her, sighing through her vents as a sense of forlorn filled her optics; "...As much I wish I could knock some sense into her, I _honestly _don't have the energy to keep doing this with her any more...after all this time, why does she keep this up?"

Saddened to see her mother's emotional fatigue, Moonshine instinctively stroked her shoulder as she leaned against her; "...Please, don't do this to yourself mother. Look it's her loss she can't see you as we do"

"But she's still _my daughter_: it's _my loss_ if I lose her completely..." Majestrix sighed painfully. Seeing she had hardly any energy left for this, Moonshine quickly changed the subject. "Listen, I got a full can of your favorite chrome wax: why don't head over to my workshop, grab a chair and I'll give you a full wash and wax with your favorite energon cocktail, wouldn't that be nice?" she suggested sweetly, hoping to cheer her up. "Thank you my sweet spark," Majestrix couldn't help but smile, "But maybe tomorrow, I'm feeling tired" she said as she turned and headed back the way she came.

"Oh, okay, tomorrow then, first thing..." Moonshine replied. As soon as her mother was out of range, Moonshine's temper fired up again; "Ugh! Eclipse you thick-helmed spark-breaking bitch!" she growled through her sharp teeth, and stormed off to find her elder sister and give more than a piece of her mind; but as she reached an intersection and stopped to think which way she could've gone, she suddenly thought: 'No wait a minute, mother's stressed enough without worrying about her, what's she going to say if she finds out I got into a fight with her again?'. Breathing out her frustration in several deep icy breaths, the femme (reluctantly) let her anger go and let her shoulder's slump in tired frustration, "I guess it's not worth it" she huffed to herself, and turned to head for her workshop.

But as she slowly ambled down the corridor, something Eclipse said suddenly came back to mind; _it doesn't strike you as odd that his frame design has the same format codes as Ravage's?_

She stopped and jerked suddenly as she realized the tone she'd said it in: "'it doesn't strike you as odd?' She said that like she _knew_ it for sure..." she thought aloud, "But if the records are classified, how could she know for certain that-"

Suddenly, a bad feeling began to well up in her pump, as she realized something was wrong.

"Oh Primus, did she?"

Without another word, Moonshine rushed down the corridor to the base's central command hub, hoping her uncle would be there tonight. In the back of her mind she hoped she was wrong, but on some level she wouldn't be surprised if she was right, and that disheartened her more than anything right now: "Primus Eclipse I hope you weren't that stupid!" she muttered under her breath.

Back in the corridor where the argument had taken place; Ratbat cautiously crept out from his hidey-hole on the underside of one of the suspended human walkway's, looked around to check no one else was around, and took off: eager to return to his brothers.

* * *

A minute or two later:

"She did what?" Ratchet exclaimed

"I think she might've hacked Ashley's medical files: the one's you got sealed away from the rest of Teletran's personnel files?" Moonshine replied as he wrung her clawed hands with worry. Optimus stood nearby with his arms folded, and optics downcast in a look of disappointment.

"If she did manage to by-pass Teletran's security protocols she's very good" Prowl frowned as his finger flew across the keyboard of his terminal: checking the system to confirm if the classified files had been breached.

"Eh, computers aren't really her thing, but mother made it a point to teach us the basics of hacking and network infiltration; just in case we got into trouble" Moonshine offered offhand

"Well, in any case she's not cleared to access those files, and furthermore, if-" Prowl suddenly stopped when a red warning window flashed on the screen: confirming the system had indeed been accessed without authorization.

"Got something?" Ratchet asked eagerly

"Unfortunately yes; the system was accessed through an 'under-the-net' infiltrator programme approximately at 10:25pm yesterday, and the security footage confirms Eclipse's location, in the computer hub: the same room the files were accessed from" Prowl replied as he showed them the data on the screen. Optimus sighed through his vents, and slightly shook his head in regret; from where he stood on top of the terminal Colonel Bishop too was somewhat disappointed to learn of this; Moonshine however, could do nothing but curse her sister's foolishness under her breath.

"How'd you want to handle this?" Bishop sighed

"Call Eclipse, and tell her to report to my office immediately; call Majestrix too, I want her to be present" Prime frowned as turned to leave.

"Uncle, wait!-" Moonshine chased after him; "-Please, she wouldn't have done this unless she thought something of a serious concern was at hand"

"I appreciate her concern and diligence Moonshine; but the mandate of her position does not include clearance to access classified files without authorization" Optimus stated, "...I'm sorry, but if she_ is_ responsible for this, she has to be held accountable for her actions. Prowl, run a full diagnostic of the system and security network, I want to know _exactly_ how she accessed those files; once you have all the relevant data recalibrate the system's security access codes and reboot the data-filters" he ordered before leaving the command hub.

"...I just hope she doesn't make a scene" Moonshine sighed in regret

"For what it's worth I'm sorry" Bishop offered

"Oh it's not your fault" Moonshine waved off, "It's just-, when she thinks something's up she likes to get to the bottom of it and find out exactly what it is; she's always been through like that"

"Prudent: but why would she think there would be deception on our part?" Prowl asked

"Ugh-" the dragon femme huffed, "I honestly can't blame her for being a little paranoid like that. During the war part of her job included working Blackshot to interrogate potential double-agents and looking to see how far they'd infiltrated the Autobot ranks. Don't get me wrong she always knew a traitor when she saw one, and she always got her con in the end, but doing that kinda thing for as long as she did? It does things to you after a while you know?"

"Oh we know..." Prowl drolled as Red Alert came to mind

"Paranoia can be as dangerous as any disease; leave it to fester long enough and it can bring about some pretty bad collateral" Bishop folded his arms, "Still, I just hope she hasn't already made up her mind about this, the kid's been through enough without rumors and conjecture painting him in a bad way"

"That's-, gonna be hard to get around, when Eclipse makes up her mind about something there's no way she backs down" Moonshine sighed with worry, "...And I don't think this is gonna be any different..."

* * *

**Sheesh! This was a hard chapter to put together: the original draft said both Longrange and Coldbore get their arse's kicked in, but then I realized Longrange was practically asking for it, and so I concentrated on him instead ^^; being way more mature and tactical, Coldbore would've most likely come out relatively okay.**

**In case you were wondering about the conversation between Majestrix and Blackshot; its because there's a lot of history between those two. There was a time once they were close BFF's, but over the course of the war Blackshot began to become more cynical, more broody, and generally more of a bitch; she started pulling off some seriously bad shit that landed the 9 in trouble on more than one occasion. Majestrix didn't stand for it of course, but because of their history she wanted to try and help Blackshot as best she could by helping to remind her of what she had to loose. Said help was of course emotional blackmail, they both knew this, but Blackshot's lack of sensibility is as such the commander didn't have many other options, and in some regards, she still finds it hard to keep her in line without loosing her rag with her; and because her twin brother Megatron still haunts her on a number of levels, she's not willing to take the risk.**

**As for Eclipse, she's got more than a few skeletons in her wardrobe that she won't admit to without wounding her pride. We'll find out more later on in the saga/story arc, but for now, she's gonna have to make up her mind on what to do next; cuz_ if_ she did hack those files, its not just her family that will be giving her grief :(**

**And don't worry about Shadowstar and her family, I'll be trying to include her in the next chapter, and hopefully I can include Jay-jay: its high time my favorite little sparkling got a good lookin'! ;)**

**Let me know what you think and catch ya next time sweet-peas!**


	9. Chpt 8: Pride

Sorry this took a little longer than usual, but I've been off with the mother of all colds and I've been keeping busy with other things that seemed to have run away with me: but I'm (kinda) back on track now, & so on with the new chapter! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 8: Pride

"What're you doing?" Will asked as he watched Miles creep around the corner and duck into a small alcove in the wall.

"Trying to avoid Eclipse" he replied nervously in hushed tone, "Hell I thought that femme was cold before; but this morning she's at full on bitch-mode: hasn't stopped biting everyone's head's off all morning"

"Ah-" Will winced slightly, "Probably should've expected that"

"Why? What happened?"

"You didn't hear?" the Major blinked in surprise: Miles simply shook his head, "Prime thinks Eclipse hacked into one of the classified files the day before last, to check out if Ashley's a con or not"

"What!"

"I know; she's saying she didn't do it but the evidence is saying otherwise: her mom and sisters argued with her about it last night and-, well? Let's just say it's a good thing Portia was there to mediate things. This morning's not been any different either; Eclipse won't back down and won't talk to _anyone_, Red Alert's been on her back about it, Prowl's seriously considering whether to court-martial her or not, and John's been pissed as hell. The whole morning's been nuts"

"Where's she now?"

"Confided to her quarters about ten minutes ago: until Prowl, Darren, Glen, Frenzy and some of the other techs can determine how she got into the system"

"Man..." Miles breathed in amazement, "I knew she was kinda edgy about being around the defectors, but Ashley? ...Well okay I can understand on_ some_ level, but _hacking_ classified files?"

"From what I could gather I think she figured out Ravage had something to do with-, 'turning' him into a hybrid; and it's not unsafe to assume she thinks the drone's still a con at heart"

"What! How the hell can she-" Miles facepalmed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "...You know? This doesn't completely surprise me" he sighed in frustration, "...She wasn't there when that shit went down, who the hell is she to judge who or what Ashley is? She didn't even _read_ our reports on the Dark Spark and all the shit it pulled off in that 'other' universe"

"I know" Will sighed, "Everybody's been bugging her about it, to go to the data-records and read about it for herself"

"Then why didn't she just do that in the first place?"

"I don't know" The Major shrugged, "She said something about the records not being totally reliable, that with the 'cons' around they could've snuck into the system and falsified the data so that what happened, didn't happen the way we said it did".

"Shit" the blond teen huffed as he tried to loosen his collar, "So what's going down now?"

"Prime, Prowl and Majestrix are working with the tech's to see how much she actually learnt from Ashley's file; because of the hack the whole system had to be rebooted last night, and as a result the security network was automatically reset: Bishop's ordered everyone to report to tech support, to be issued with our new access codes and passwords"

"What! No one told me about that!"

"Well I'm telling you now kiddo, come on" Will gestured from him to follow, "Just when I thought we wouldn't have to worry about Longrange anymore, we have_ this_ shit to contend with; as if her arguments with her mom were enough"

"I don't _get_ what Eclipse has got against her mom anyway? It's not like she's doing anything to deliberately piss her off; I can tell there's a history with those two, but Moonshine and Novastar are on their mom's side, so why's Eclipse got a grudge against her?"

"Who knows? There's a saying my dad told me once: happy families are all alike, every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Whatever's going on between Eclipse and her mom it must be something pretty serious for her to be so riled. But Majestrix? I don't know, she doesn't bite back, and she always looks more sorry and hurt than angry when they argue"

"Well whatever it is I hope they don't drag us into it"

"...Don't ask me why, but something in my gut's telling me it might be a little too late for that" Will sighed reluctantly.

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

Knock-knock-knock

Eclipse frowned as she went to open the door; upon seeing that no bot was present she looked down and saw Ashley standing at her feet. Of all the individuals, he was the _last_ person she expected to see today.

"What do you want?" she asked curtly

"I think we both know the answer to that" he stated flatly, "After what you did, you _owe_ me an explanation"

"I don't owe you anything-" she stated coldly. As she tried to shut the door Ashley zipped in between her feet like a weasel and dashed into her quarters, climbing up the side of the desk and jumping up onto the top-most shelf in the room and firmly planting himself right on the end. Trying to catch him, Eclipse stretched up to try and grab his tail but the shelf was too high.

"Oh really? Cuz that loada bullshit you palmed off to Prime and your mum last night certainly didn't seem to do much for proving your innocence!" he stated firmly, "I'm probably the _last person_ on this base who's _actually_ willing to listen to you, so the least you can do is calm down and not throw me out!"

Eclipse paused, and with a frustrated sigh reluctantly lowered her arm and glared daggers up at him.

"Thanks" Ashley added, "Now for starters you can tell me why you didn't just check out the data-records on how I got turned into 'this'" he pointed to himself, "Why hack my file?"

"You _know_ why" she frowned accusingly

"No, I don't, I _really_ don't: why don't you enlighten me on why you didn't just_ ask_ me about this to begin with? _I get_ that you don't trust the defectors but does that really call for having to sneak around everyone's backs? There's no shame in being curious, but not at the expense of the rules!" Ashley frowned sarcastically

Eclipse didn't reply

"What? Me and the defectors are supposed to be part of this big Decepticon conspiracy to infiltrate the base and learn all your secrets so we can rat you out to them? And that Ravage turning me into my 'current state' has something to do with the cons trying to find a way for cybertronians to reproduce through converting flesh into metal? ..." Ashley stated facetiously. Eclipse merely folded her arms and didn't say anything as she gazed up at him with a look that said: pretty much.

"-Oh my god your even _more paranoid_ Red Alert!" Ashley huffed as he facepalmed, "-Come to think of it: _this_, I'd half expect from him, and even then it would be somewhat understandable considering it would be_ him_!"

"And I'm telling you _I didn't do it!_" she firmly stated

"Then give me _one good reason_ why I should believe you; and by 'good reason' I mean a _legitimate_ reason, not a bunch of bullshit that equals an excuse for you to vent your pissed-off attitude at being on the same base as the defectors" Ashley retorted.

Eclipse paused and dropped her gaze as she thought about it; and then looked back up at the hybrid, still glaring daggers at him. "...You're 'form' has been created to Decepticon format specs" she stated tonelessly

"Yes I know"

"And you know in particular _whose_ format codes they are"

"Duh, I knew that from the start"

"Then you understand the implications it poses"

"Double-duh! I _know_! Me, Prime, D and my dad already talked about this, which is _why_ it was meant to be a secret in the first place! If the cons find out about me they could pull off some serious shit to try and get a hold of this thing" he pointed to himself, "Which is why my file was classified! So no one would go blabbing about it!"

"Classified or not, you pose a serious risk to the Autobots" she stated

"_Only _a serious risk if the cons get wind of me, besides that, only a handful of people off this base know about me, and Prime and the guys went to great lengths to make sure they couldn't be traced back to this place _or_ to us; other than that, as far everyone is _supposed_ to be concerned I'm a human stuck in a fancy piece of techno-organic armor" Ashley clarified

"I would believe you: were it not for the fact that that's not the case"

"What?"

"You think I don't know who your 'friend' Ravage is? Who his _creator_ was?"

"What's that gotta do with this?"

"I _know_ he has you under his mental control, it wouldn't be the first time he's had a puppet to do his dirty work" she stated coldly.

"Okay-" Ashley sighed sarcastically as he jumped off the shelf and landed on the floor, "You know what? My bullshit-o-meter's full, so I'll be on my way now. When you feel like taking another look at this whole thing and realizing your believing your own shit, come talk to me about it" he said as he left the room, "In the meantime, I suggest you _really _think about whether you wanna keep this up; cuz like it or not, the defectors ain't cons anymore, and everyone else knows it too".

"This isn't over" she added coldly

"Like I give a shit" he stated as he galloped off down the corridor and disappeared around the corner.

"Well done for not killing him, otherwise his creator would smack your corpse" Moonshine stated facetiously as she stepped out from around the other corner of the corridor and let herself into her sister's quarters. "I see you still have enough self-restraint to know when not to push your luck, because really? _This_ is new low for you"

"I _didn't_ hack that file" Eclipse seethed

"So you keep saying: so why don't you offer any _real_ proof of your innocence besides saying 'I didn't do it'?" Moonshine scoffed

Eclipse didn't reply right away, but hesitated before reluctantly admitting: "...I can't"

"Because you know you're guilty?"

"Because I know the evidence is against me!" she spat, "Prowl showed me the security footage of the time of the hack, there is no other way to prove it could be anyone other than me"

Moonshine stilled, slightly bemused, "...So? You're saying you're _not_ responsible?"

"I'm _saying_ I have no evidence to prove my innocence" Eclipse put her hands on her hips; "I know it was Ravage that did it! He and those fraggin' brothers of his hacked that file to set me up!"

"Oh really? With Crystalwing and her family on the same base sensing every thought and telepathic presence? Please..." Moonshine stated sarcastically as she regarded her with an accusing stare, "Everyone _knows _you're a hardcore con-hater: it's not completely beyond the realm of possibility that you'd be angry and desperate enough to try and frame them so they'd get thrown in the brig!"

"And _that _would be such a terrible crime? Rouge bots have been court-marshaled for far more trivial matters"

Moonshine stilled, "Wait-, you didn't-"

"-Of course I didn't you lizard-headed fool! _How stupid_ do you think I am?!" Eclipse angrily spat back, "I don't have to do anything but wait: those cons will show their true colors soon enough!"

"Do you even stop to _think_ anymore?!" Moonshine fumed in disbelief, "I've said it_ once_ if I have to say it _a thousand times!_ Don't you think if the defectors really_ were_ a threat, Prime would still keep them on the base? Crystalwing and Twilightveil have been keeping a psychic tap on them all week and they _know_ their legit; if you had _half a processor_ you'd think to check in with them first before rolling away with this paranoid line of thinking!"

"But Ravage could be-"

"-Hiding his thoughts? Even with a white-point chip fused to his telepathy matrix he'd have to go a long way to get past a telepath of Twilightveil's caliber" the dragon femme cut her off.

Eclipse stilled in shock, "He-, has _a white-point chip_ installed? How did you learn of this?!"

"He told me"

Eclipse nearly gawked, but kept her cool exterior in one piece, "He-, _told_ you? ..."

"Of course he did, he knows how powerful Twilight is, and knows there's no point in trying to deceive her or her family. If you'd bother to hang around much you'll have known the defectors have been frank about a lot of things, _not least_ their disdain for Megatron... The seekers defected_ ages_ ago, and the drones were quick to just ship once they found out Soundwave and Blackout were offline; they've got nothing left to tie them to the cons anymore, not loyalty, not obligation, fear, nothing. So why would they want to go back now when they know they've got a much sweeter deal hanging around with us?" Moonshine stated.

"That doesn't mean they can't change their minds" Eclipse was quick to retort

"True, but if their smart they'll think better of it, and not just because of mother threatening to rip them to pieces if they do turn tails and defect on us"

Eclipse pinched the bridge of her nose plates as she vented sharply: "Have you forgotten _who_ we've been fighting all these eons? The cons will go to _any lengths_ to ensure our destruction! Leading us all around by the nose plates certainly isn't out of the question. How can you be so naive and just forget it all?"

"Oh I haven't forgotten it, but how could_ you_ be so stupid and access a classified file that you didn't have clearance for in the first place?!"

"-I ALREADY TOLD YOU I DIDN'T HACK THAT FILE!" Eclipse shouted as she pushed her sister hard against the wall, "-I don't care _what_ you think, I didn't do it and _that's_ the truth! You and the rest of those fools can believe whatever you want, but those defectors _are_ cons and they will _kill us all_ at the first chance they get!"

Moonshine didn't say anything, but stood there with a solemn look in her optics as she studied the rage etched across her sisters face plates: "...What the pit happened to you? ..." she vented, "I know you hate the cons, but you've _never _taken it this far before; you've never been filled with _this_ much anger...tell me, why the pit are you doing this?"

"...Because no one else will..." Eclipse growled, "...I _didn't have_ to hack that file; I_ know_ what that hybrid is, and his loyalties are _not_ with us! Whatever the cons plan to do, he's part of it: why else would they spare his life if not to use him against us?"

Moonshine studied her elder sister for a few long strained minutes, before replying in firm but toneless voice, "I would tell you, it's because for the first time in his life Ravage actually has a friend, a _real_ friend. I would tell you he saved Ashley's life because he's come to care for the boy, _not _because he's tool to be used: I would also tell you that I read uncle Optimus's report on the subject of his 'transformation', and discovered that that boy is _so lucky_ to have been saved, because if Ravage hadn't there, he'd have become-, _something so much worse_...I would tell you all of this and much more: but you _don't want_ _to listen_, to me or to anyone...You stand there telling me I'm wrong? Didn't it ever occur to you that we've been in stasis for nearly _twenty five thousand years?_ Do you have any idea how much of the war _we've missed_? How much has _changed_ in all that time? Nothing's the same anymore, and _you don't get it_..."

Eclipse didn't reply

"...Tell me, do you actually _care_ anymore?"

"About what?"

"About being an Autobot_, a real Autobot, _not just killing Decepticons and collecting their insignia's as trophies: you say you're there to serve us and our uncle but who're you _really_ serving? You go on and on about how deceptive the cons are and how important it is to never let our guard down or assume what we don't know. And then all of a sudden you think it's all one big conspiracy so you break protocol to find out if everyone's been _lying_ to you?... Who's being a serious threat _now?_"

Eclipse didn't reply,

"... You know? For someone who regards herself to be one of the best bots there is, you sure as pit doesn't _act_ like one..." Moonshine huffed as she left the room.

Eclipse remained silent as she listened to her sister's footfall's grow fainter and fainter until she was out of audio range. The femme stood there a long moment as she contemplated what she'd said and heard; as her anger ebbed a little, a feeling of coldness creeped in where guilt should've been, and in a strange way she didn't mind: was it sad of her? Unkind? She didn't know, and honestly, she couldn't care less...

Looking across her quarters, she stared blankly at the black door on the opposite side of the room, the one she always kept locked; slowly approaching and typing in the access code on the keypad-lock, the huge double doors slid open to reveal a larger longer room: dimly lit with dark grey walls, and filled top to bottom with hundreds of thousands of Decepticon insignias, her trophies. Strung and clipped onto chains many meters long and hung from the ceiling, as well as mounted on the walls, the insignias were all various sizes; some were as large as her wings while some were no bigger than a microchip: on the back of each one were the names of their respective owners, and around the edges the metal was dented and frayed from the damage her claws created when she sank them into their chassis's and ripped them off.

It was an impressive but somewhat macabre collection, as many of the insignias were still splattered with old energon: long since dried up and still there as a testament to their owner's less-than merciful deaths. She took no delight in seeing these trinkets, but rather, a reassurance of sorts; that she could still keep her guard up, and know she was one of the best warriors around...

But as she looked her trophies over, a fleeting sense of curiosity pinged at the back of her mind...

'_He told her? Why would he do that?'_ she thought offhand

As her sister's words echoed through her thoughts, part of her wanted to stamp them down; what reason would a con have for sharing information like that? It would serve no other purpose other than to put him at a tactical disadvantage; and having read the data-reports on Ravage more than once, she knew that didn't jive with the psychological profile of his character. Soundwave and his drones were masters at manipulating data, they knew the value and power information could have, and knew exactly how to use it to their advantage. So why would Ravage reveal the fact he had a white-point chip fused to his telepathy matrix? Despite not being able to remove it, it can be easily disabled, and that would put him in a vulnerable position; why would he do that? ...a fake gesture of submission? A way to gain trust: even if it were tenuous at best? It wouldn't be completely out of his sly line of thinking to come up with something to lead the bots into a false sense of security (Primus only know it certainly wouldn't be the first time he pulled off a trick like that). But then, that wouldn't account for Ashley...

The cons_ hate_ organics, period; even Megatron himself wouldn't entertain the idea of cultivating new sparks from the life-force of such lowly organisms; it was an affront to them and their ideology (and one which carried a death wish). But with Megatron gone and the Allspark destroyed, and no other way to continue the cybertronian 'bloodlines' by the usual means, why would they not resort to desperate measures? Even at the expense of their beliefs? ...

But why only the boy? It would make more sense to use a female: or more than one female if procreation was the goal...

That didn't make sense either

The more Eclipse tried to analyze the facts of the whole situation (and in particular the events of the last few days), the more she realized this wasn't as straightforward as she originally thought; despite her pride and wanting to maintain her dignity, she had to admit, maybe things really had changed? And if that was the case, how far behind was she?

If there's one thing she couldn't stand, more than the cons, it was being kept out of the loop; as head of the 9's scout unit it was her job to stay in-the-know at all times, _all the time_. It was at that moment she realized she had to do something: her reputation and innocence was at stake and regardless of whatever else she believed to be true or not, she would have to find a way to prove she didn't hack that file. But at the same time, she would have to gain some information, some 'perspective' on the state of play with the defectors; go along with the belief that they really had turned over a new leaf and see just how much they'd 'changed'. It could prove an ideal chance to try and find out what their hidden agenda was, and the more she thought about it, the more she began to wonder what else she could uncover.

Situations may change all the time, but people _never_ change; there was no way in the pit those defectors had given up their loyalty to the cons, Megatron or no Megatron, she knew their sparks were still as black as his: the question now, was how to bring that fact to light...

...She was so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed the old woman standing by the door outside her quarters; dressed in a long white flowing dress, she looked elegant yet so delicate as her thin frail hand braced the side of the door frame. She stared up at the femme with soft pale eyes, almost sad but distant: as if she hadn't seen her in a long time. She stood there a little while, and then turned and walked away; her footfalls didn't even make a sound as she crossed the metal floor, and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor...

* * *

A little while later:

"Hey Jay-jay! Looks who's come for a play-date!" Hailey beamed as Annabelle peeped around the door with a big broad smile on her dimpled face.

"Jay-jay!" the little honey-blond beamed

"Annybelly!" the little femme squeaked as she bounded over and threw her chubby arms around her; "I miss you I miss you!"

"I missed you too, sorry I been away so long" Annabelle apologized as she wrestled out of the sparklings grip, "You didn't miss me too much did you?"

"I miss you I miss you!" the sparkling squeaked

"Okay, then let's go, we gotta week's woththa' playin' ta catch up with," Annabelle stated as she took her hand and let her drag her to the room next door; "Bye Aunty Chromia!" the four year old called over her shoulder.

"Alright sweet-spark, play nice now!" Chromia waved goodbye as the two youngsters ran off with Becca and Becky close behind, "Primus, they grow so fast"

"Ugh! Tell me about it! I'm glad she can burn some of that excess energy with Anny. Barely a week on this guardian job and I'm pooped! It was much easier when she was only two weeks old" Hailey sighed in exasperation as she climbed into Bluestreak's waiting hand and let him perch her on his shoulder; "At least her vocabulary's improved, she learned fifteen new words this week" Bluestreak smiled as he offered Chromia a chair and went to fetch her a cube of energon.

"Really? That's great... So tell me, what've I been missing around here? A week's worth of curb-side duty with Sarah and Anny is nice an' all, but I have missed this place..." Chromia said as she sat down: "I heard about Longrange and Shadowstar"

"Ah," Bluestreak winced, "Those two, I don't even want to _try _and guess what's been knocking around in their processors the last few several thousand years" he brought two cubes of energon over and sat at the table; "Longrange? Hey, the guy's a Class-A jerk, he was practically asking for that fight, but Shadowstar? That's a little more complicated"

"Complicated how?" Chroma asked as she took a sip of her cube.

"Prime ordered her to undergo psychiatric treatment and grief counseling" Hailey replied

Chromia's optics flew open in surprise, "Psych treatment? That _does_ make it complicated" she thought aloud in a grimly tone.

"And that's not even the _half_ of it; you should've seen what happened yesterday!" Bluestreak leaned in a little closer. As the two bots and one human continued to chat, in the next room the two youngsters jumped and bounced about while Skywarp sat on the floor, making sure they didn't fall or stumble as they climbed all over him.

For the spark of him, Skywarp couldn't figure out how he'd managed to cope with being a co-guardian without going completely insane; it wasn't as if he'd asked or begged for the job, he only agreed to it because he saw it as a way to stay in the Autobot's good graces. From the moment he'd defected Skywarp was all too aware that he was treading on eggshells; knowing that many of the bots still had an issue with him and didn't take kindly to his presence. For a long time now he'd been very conscious of every single move he made and every word he spoke, being careful not to provoke anyone even by mistake; for the most part he would've been happy to have been given a job that allowed him to keep his head down and out of everybody's way, but to suddenly find himself as a co-guardian? That: was uncomfortable to say the least.

For the past week, the duty of being a co-guardian had been a challenging one for the seeker to learn; who knew a sparkling could be so demanding? Having to never take your optics off them even for a second, having to make sure the energy matrix in their energon formula was not too high or too low, and that it was not too hot or cool for them to consume; also, making sure they were properly stimulated without letting them run riot across the base, making sure they were clean, healthy and comfortable (least he'd incur the wrath of Ratchet)and then when they eventually tired, trying to get them to take a nap without stirring up a temper-tantrum, as well as all the other minor-but-still-necessary details that had to be kept in mind.

How he managed to adjust to it was totally beyond him, (and on some level he couldn't help but wonder if this was crazy?) never mind not losing his cool with Jay-jay. But in the long run, he didn't really mind the sparkling following him around like a puppy; maybe it was because she was a flyer, and thus that sense of familiarity had warmed her to him? Or was he just better at handling a sparkling than he originally gave himself credit for? He didn't know, but one thing's for sure, he unexpectedly found himself respecting Hailey quite a lot; for a human she was a natural guardian, taking each challenge in her stride while not complaining even once. In some way, since the incident with Blackshot she'd been more focused, more attentive in her role as guardian, and stayed close to Jay-jay whenever they were taking the sparkling out for her daily stroll. That was understandable, and despite the strange looks she would get from some of the other bots and humans, she carried on regardless.

Since Jay-jay stood less than four and half feet tall (and had grown by several inches since she first onlined) she was much too big for Hailey or the twins to handle like a human baby, so it was Skywarp's job to do most of the carrying, cradling, and holding, as well as put her in and out of her cot and high-chair, and anything else that was required of him. Bluestreak chipped in where he could, and had come to be more of a big brother figure to the little femme; Becky and Becca were more or less the same height so they were fellow play-mates as far as the sparkling was concerned, but it was Hailey that Jay-jay looked up to the most, she was there when she woke up in the mornings, and she was the last face she saw before she went to into recharge at night: she was always there, and she always smiled...

Today was the first break Hailey had been able to get, and it was Skywarp's turn to take the sparkling out for her daily stroll around the base.

"So? What'd you pipsqueaks wanna do today?" the seeker asked in a slight deadpan tone.

"Wanna see mommy-" Jay-jay squeaked as she jumped off the seeker's knee and rushed back to her room, she emerged less than a minute later with a big sheet of paper in one hand, upon which was the crudely scribbled image of (what looked to be) three fighter jets flying through the sky: "-I make a pitcha' fer her!" she held the drawing up proudly with a big smile.

"Okay, you're creator it is" Skywarp nodded as he gathered the sparkling and three humans up in his clawed hands and carefully placed them on his shoulders and headed out the door.

"Hey!" Bumblebee greeted as he came jogging along, "What's shakin' Warp?"

"Hey Bee!" Annabelle beamed as she jumped into his cupped hands, "Annabelle! Great to see ya again! When did you get here?" the yellow scout chimed with delight.

"About five minutes ago, you didn't tell me you guys have a three-headed guard dog! He chased us all the way to the air-strip!" the four year old exclaimed.

"Ah-, yeah" Bumblebee winced, "That would be Cerberus"

"What's a 'sir-ber-us?'"

"Cerberus" Skywarp corrected in a droll tone, "It's a giant slag of a hellhound who likes to eat yer aft for breakfast"

Annabelle couldn't help but giggle: "seriously?"

With a frustrated huff, the seeker stopped and turned, pointing to the scuff-marks on his aft plates where the giant beast had tried to take a bite out of him; the four year old fell over in Bumblebee's hands as she was paralyzed in a fit of laughter.

"Yeah laugh it up pipsqueak, _you_ try and out-fly that slobber-machine and see how you like it" the seeker deadpanned, "You won't be laughing then"

"Aw com' on 'Warpy he wasn't trying to eat you" Becca grinned, "Yeah, he just wanted to play" Becky concurred.

"Play?, _by chewing my aft off?!_" Skywarp exclaimed, "You younglings can take him home for all I care!"

"Hey, we'd love to pet-sit him sometime, but I don't think mom and dad would like him digging up the front garden" Becky shrugged innocently

"You mean the front lawn the sidewalk _and_ the street; he can rip up concrete and tarmac you know?" her sister pointed out

"Oh yeah, I forgot"

"So anyway..." Bumblebee changed the subject, "What're you doing on the base?" he asked the four year old

"Auntie Chromia's come to get her paint-job done and see Ironhide while mommy's talkin' grown-up stuff with daddy, so I come ta' see Jay-jay" she replied, "I missed bein' away from the base; I really missed you guys"

"We missed ya too sweet-spark, heck we could use a friendly little face around here to lighten things up" the scout smiled

"Oh? Has it been gloomy without me?" the honey blond asked, the seeker and scout both exchanged an awkward glance, as did the twins; "...In a way" Bumblebee sighed, "Let's just say, it's been kinda 'glum'"

"Hmm, that ain't good" Annabelle contemplated as she stroked her chin (a habit she'd picked up from Jetfire), "I'll have ta' do somthin' about that"

"Indeed, but first, we gotta go see Swiftshot" Skywarp pointed out

"Oh yeah, Jay-jay's mommy...is she still asleep?"

"Yeah, she's still asleep" Bumblebee sighed sadly

"How long's she gonna_ be_ asleep?"

Both mechs looked at one another, but couldn't offer anything; "...I don't know..." was all the scout could say as he placed the four year old back on the seeker's shoulder.

A five minute walk soon brought them to the med-bay; Ratchet was about to shoo them off, when he suddenly he spotted Jay-jay, and nodded in understanding: knowing why they'd come. He pointed to a door next to the entrance of the recovery ward and went back to work without further fuss; the room in question was the med-bay's make-shift coma ward, with its sole occupant lying motionless in a simple medical birth, hooked up to a spark monitor and energon drip, at the far end of the room.

Since she'd had her spark re-ignited by the tiny slither of the Allspark embedded in Sam's famous 'D-day' shirt, Swiftshot hadn't regained consciousness; every day Ratchet, Perceptor, Que or Mikaela would check on her progress, but since they brought her back from the 'other' universe her condition hadn't really improved: and what micro-repairs her systems had managed to make by themselves, were progressing at a slow snail's pace. While numerous scans and examinations had proven that Swiftshot was stable and in no immediate danger, at the same time there was nothing to suggest something was stopping her systems from healing properly...It was strange, and it confounded the medic to no end; but still, he wasn't willing to give up on her: for now she was okay, and that was something to be thankful for (after all, her predicament could've transpired a lot differently).

From the start; Hailey had told Jay-jay that Swiftshot was her mommy, and that she was just babysitting her until she woke up and could care for her as usual. As much as she's grown to love the little femme, Hailey had been careful to keep the situation in perspective, and to make sure Jay-jay knew it too (least there would be any emotional complications that would arise from 'imprinting' on the wrong caregiver). Thus, she, plus her sisters, Bluestreak and Ratchet had managed to get the sparkling to visit her everyday so she could start to develop a sense of familiarity with her mother; despite Swiftshot's current state, everyone involved had agreed it would be in Jay-jay's best interest if she developed a bond with her creator at this early stage in her life.

The side of Swiftshot's birth had grown into a little shrine of sorts; every day Jay-jay brought her pictures, some of her stuffed toys, and photos of her, her guardians and her friends to give to her mother, in the hope that through her stasis-lock she was listening, and was happy to know she was thinking of her. Today, it was a crayon drawing, and as they approached the birth and Skywarp set the youngsters down, Jay-jay hopped over to the side of her mother's head, climbed up onto her chest and slipped the drawing into between her fingers.

"I made you a pitcha' mommy!" she pointed to the jets in the drawing, "Is Unca' Jet-fi-ya, is Unca Warpy, and is you" she smiled, and turned to face the others, "Is she dream 'in?"

"Yeah, she's dreaming" Becca nodded

"Of fwhy-ing?"

"Yeah, flying everywhere and anywhere" Bumblebee replied, to which Jay-jay smiled.

Annabelle carefully climbed down and joined the sparkling at her side, she was about to say something when the sound of the door opening grabbed everyone's attention...As Blackshot stood there eying the seeker with a sharp cold stare, Jay-jay squeaked in alarm and dashed back to the safety of Skywarp's waiting hand; the seeker, scout and twins all shot the femme a harsh reprimanding look as Bumblebee gently picked up Annabelle and moved to the door as Blackshot came into the room and approached her sister, all the while not taking her optics off them until they left and shut the door behind them.

"Hey!" Skywarp caught Ratchet's attention, "You could'a warned us she was coming!"

"Regardless of whether you like her or not, she has every right to visit her sister in her own time" the medic stated

The seeker and scout both looked at each other, and left the med-bay without a word; deciding it wasn't worth the hassle to get into an argument toady.

"What just happened?" Annabelle asked

"Oh..." Bumblebee tried to find the right words to explain, "...It's complicated"

"Complicated?" the little honey-blond asked curious

"Grown-up stuff pipsqueak, you wouldn't understand"

"Oh, okay" Annabelle nodded, knowing the words 'grown-up stuff', and 'you wouldn't understand' were adult talk for 'I'm not going to tell you about it'.

"She mean!" Jay-jay whined, "She make me an owie!"

"An owie?!" Annabelle exclaimed in alarm, "When did _that_ happen?!"

"Don't bust a gasket, it's taken care of" Skywarp reassured her

"Like hell it is! No one hurt's _my_ friends and gets away with it!" she stated boldly, puffing out her chest in a show of boldness.

"She didn't get away with it: we took care of her and she ain't gonna be getting up to anymore trouble, I promise" Skywarp stated

As the two mechs walked off in the direction of the rec-room, Annabelle was already getting an idea form in the back of her mind; taken care of or not: if that femme had hurt her best friend she'd give her a good talking too, and let _her _know who's to be feared around here...

* * *

Elsewhere:

She hated waiting

Despite being patient on the battlefield, she was seldom patient in these circumstances.

As Majestrix stood off to one side of the command center's main computer terminals, quietly listening to the techs as they went about their work; her eldest daughter was currently the vex consuming her thoughts.

Eclipse breaking protocol and hacking classified files?

She couldn't believe it; she didn't _want_ to believe it, she taught her better than that.

But still...this nagging dread of 'what if' wouldn't go away

Would she do it? _Did_ she do it?

Was she so completely devoid of faith in her fellow bots that she didn't trust them? Was she so suspicious (or Primus forbid, paranoid) that she had to see if something was being kept hidden from her? Or was she so cynical that she wouldn't believe in the truth from the start, and had come to her own conclusion that it was better to rely on her own judgement rather than her fellow bots word?

The latter sounded more likely (much to her mother's grief), Primus only knows Eclipse was stubborn to a fault, and when she had her mind set on something she wouldn't let it go; her cynicism was no different.

All this and more refused to leave the femme commander's mind, and as the sounds of the room droned on, she silently slipped away into the ready-room. The sound-proofed walls offered some much needed peace and quiet; but to her slight disappointment, she saw she wasn't the only one present.

"...I don't like having to wait either..." Optimus offered in a soft voice as he got up from his seat and approached her

Majestrix couldn't help but smirk, "...You were never one for brevity, unless it involved diplomacy"

"True, but in this case I can't say I'm comfortable with the situation at hand" he replied frankly

"I know..." she sighed as she turned her gaze away, "...And I can't believe she would be this-, reckless"

"I can't either, she may be angry if not contemptuous but she's no fool; I doubt she would be willing to take such a risk to her career and rank" Optimus reasoned

"...I don't know..." Majestrix thought aloud with a hint of worry, "...It wouldn't be the first time..."

Knowing what she meant by that, Optimus heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head; "...What happened on Sursey8 was not your fault; she should've known better"

"Yes, she should have" Majestrix met his gaze, "But regardless of what orders I gave she was, and still_ is_ my responsibility; not just as my daughter but as my subordinate too. Her actions don't just reflect on me they reflect on all of us; a fact she has _always_ had trouble getting to grips with..." she frowned, "...I warned her, if she ever did anything like _that_ again I wouldn't be so quick to defend her the next time she got into trouble with you and the Autobot High Command. This incident may not be on the same scale of what happened on that planet all those eons ago; but this is just as much a smack in the face if she did pull off that hack"

"So you still have doubts about her guilt?" Optimus asked

"Don't you?" she raised an optic ridge

"It is as the humans say: innocent until proven guilty; and I stand by that until proven otherwise" he stated

"...Good" she thought aloud, "Because I want to see if she really did it or not" she sat down at one of the bot-sized computer terminal's by the wall and switched it on.

"What are you hoping to find?"

"Something, anything; I don't know, but I'll know when I find it" she replied as she accessed Teletran's network and brought up the security feed of Eclipse sitting in the computer hub on the night of the hack. "I may not be a spy by design, but I didn't waste those years with Autobot Intelligence; and I know my daughter's habits too well...If she did do anything I'll know"

"Shall I tell the others to continue?" Prime asked as he turned to leave

"More hands make light work; don't stop on my account..." she replied as she got to work.

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

One didn't have to be psychic to know to be cautious when approaching Sergeant John Briggs when he was pissed.

A fact Morri knew all too well, as did his son as they slowly approached him. There was no point in creeping up on the Royal Marine, he was way too sharp to get the drop on, and even if you tried, chances were he'd beat the crap out of you before you even had a chance to land the first blow. As he sat on the bolder with his back to them, his anger seemed to ripple off him in waves; like a tense tiger, it felt uneasy to even approach him, that at any moment he could turn around and bite their heads off. Morri could only hope he wasn't so riled that he wasn't in the mood to listen.

They both knew he'd heard them coming (nothing got past him: for a seasoned pro who was hardly a spring chicken his senses were still as sharp as ever) and with an uneasy sigh, Ashley took a step forward...

"...Dad? ..."

John slowly turned around and looked down at his son and niece; the anger etched across his face was plain to see, but as he saw their looks of worry and concern, he couldn't help but vent a sharp sigh as he got up and jumped off the boulder.

"We didn't see you at breakfast, thought you might be hungry?" Morri offered him a brown paper bag with grease stains on the bottom and a Styrofoam cup; the rich smell of coffee and a bacon and fried egg sandwich was too good to pass up, and as his stomach highlighted his hunger with a small soft growl, he graciously nodded in thanks as he took the food and sat down on a large rock to eat.

"I heard you went to talk to Eclipse earlier" John stated flatly

"I did" Ashley simply replied, not wanting to beat about the bush.

"And?"

The pre-teen hesitated a little before admitting: "...She's too wrapped up in her own bullshit to want to listen"

John didn't reply at first as he carried on eating, after a few more bites of his sandwich, he sighed and looked his son in the eye; "Well, it was good that you tried to be the voice of reason: but sometimes some people are just-"

He paused as he contemplated his thoughts, trying to keep his anger in check while at the same time trying to stay reason-minded.

"...Well? You can't say you didn't try..." was all John found he could say; at least, logically that is. There was _a lot_ more he wanted to say, but it would equivocate to an angry rant, and that wouldn't do anyone any favors in the long run. He finished up his sandwich and downed a few gulps of coffee before he continued, "...I just can't believe she had the nerve to do that"

"_If_ she did it" Morri corrected, "We still don't know yet if it really was her that hacked that file"

John studied her sceptically; but despite his anger he knew she was right, and vented again as he tried to let his frustration go: "*sigh* you're right, as usual" he couldn't help but smirk, but his frown returned, "...But even if she's not guilty, she-..."

He paused as his face turned to a look of concentration, as if deep in thought.

"What?" Ashley pressed him

"...The way she is, the level of mistrust she has in everyone; I think she's been a soldier way too long"

"Well that's bloody obvious" Ashley drolled

"You think she can't let go of the war?" Morri asked

John regarded her with an unreadable gaze, and looked away, gazing across the desert as he spoke his thoughts aloud: "...There are some of us that go to war: and even though we manage to come back alive, we never really come home; and what our loved ones see is just a ghost of who we were before...and sometimes, there are some of us who _can't _come back, because the thrill of the rush is too intoxicating to give up: or we grow too comfortable with it to remember how to live any other way. Either way, once you fall down that hole, it's damn hard to climb back out again, if at all"

"You think she's too far gone?"

"...I think she's still stuck in the past, and she can't figure out that she's here now"

"You certainly changed your tune; not an hour ago you were ready to march up to her and go to town on her arse: what changed?" Ashley asked, somewhat perplexed.

"Time to cool down", his father shrugged, "And realizing that dragging this out wouldn't do any favors in the long run; whether she wants to do the same will be her own choice: I just hope that for a femme as smart as her she'll realize she's not gonna do herself any good by letting her pride continue to get the better of her"

"Her? Smart? Seriously dad she's a wound-up bitch who's had her head up her arse for way too long! She's hardly the brightest light in the cupboard!"

"Wisdom and knowledge are two different things: you could be the smartest person in the world but it won't make you happy; or you could hardly know how to spell the word 'red' yet you would be the most content soul around. From I read of her file Eclipse is smart:_ very_ smart, a good tactician and a pro scout; from what I heard she's taken on more than her fair share of cons and won a lot of battles over the years. But despite the grandiose of her reputation, being that kinda soldier isn't easy, and in the end you give up more than you were anticipating to sacrifice. I don't think she even knows _how much_ she's had to give up to be what she is...and in a way, it kinda makes me feel sorry for her" John sighed

"...That's more sympathy than what I'd be willing to give" Ravage said as he strode up to them; "If it were me, I'd be of a slightly more, 'skeptical' opinion..." he purred as he jumped up onto one of the boulders and sat down on his hind quarters. "She is a perplexing one I'll give you that, and with her counter-telepathy training well attuned she's hard to read on more than one level...but, it's not just how she treats everyone that got you thinking is it?" he gazed down at Ashley.

"Huh?" the hybrid looked at him perplexed.

"Something she said has got you thinking about me...I won't take offense if you care to voice it" the panther stated

Ashley thought about it a moment: "...Despite her bullshit, I can't help but wonder if she had a point"

"About?"

"You could still be a con, and that all this is a means to an end for you; but then I'd have to ask what proof can you offer me that you're _not_ still a con?"

The panther studied the hybrid for a moment before lying on his side and passing a deep sigh through his vents: "...It's a valid question, and one that carries a moot point; yes I _could _still be a con, secretly gathering data and waiting for the right opportunity to strike, but then I'd have to ask are the Autobots not conspiring against _me_ in some form? After all, Galloway didn't take kindly to idea of us defecting, even going so far as to threaten Prime with dropping a nuke on the base, even Moshower's confidence in our defection is tenuous at best...How can you be sure I'm not still a con? The simple truth of the matter is you don't: I can't prove it any more than Eclipse can prove she's a true Autobot at spark; either way, you could roll around in circles over it and it wouldn't do any good. All you can do work at it: trust is earned, and seldom given willingly"

"Even so, it's not a guarantee" John pointed out as he took another swig of his coffee.

"Since when is anything in life a guarantee? You should know that better than anyone" Ravage pointed out

"Yeah..." Ashley sighed reluctantly

"Regardless of what anyone thinks, all I can say is that I have no qualms in turning my loyalties: backstabbing is a fine art I have down to a tee, and the cons have nothing to offer that I'd be interested in anymore"

"You say that, but say for the sake of it: what if Soundwave survived and came to earth? Would you and your brothers go back to him?" Morri asked

Ravage contemplated it for a long uneasy minute, before resting his head on the rock and signing: "...If that were the case: we'd cross that bridge when we come to it...but I don't think that will be very likely" he thought aloud in an unreadable tone, "...There's no way he could've survived the blast; when the Nemesis self-destructed it was the equivalent to three Hiroshima bombs going off simultaneously; there's no way he would've been able to clear the blast-radius in time...and besides, the gaping hole in our bond is all the confirmation we need...he's_ never_ coming to earth..."

"I am sorry" was all Morri could say

"Don't be" the panther sighed, "It is Starscream who will be sorry; and when he eventually shows up again (as he always inevitable does) I will _personally_ make sure he pays for what he's done"

"Revenge? Yeah I think I'll sit that one out" Ashley winced a little, having a good idea what he'd have in mind, "But rewinding back to what I said before; personally I don't believe your con anymore, you know that right?"

"I know" Ravage grinned, "But seriously, don't be scared to ask bold questions; it shows you know how to think right, which is more than I can say for some"

"One other thing though" Morri thought aloud, "If it turns out Eclipse didn't hack that file: then who did?"

"Now that _would_ be interesting..." Ravage purred with a sly toothy smile.

* * *

Elsewhere on the base, sometime later:

"Levels three through ten all check out" Glen said

"Andlevelsfourthroughtwentych eckouttoo!" Frenzy said in rapid succession

"Same with the others on B, C, all the way through to H drives" Darren said as he leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms up over his head; "With no trace of anything suspicious showing up on any of the other software, I'm seriously beginning to doubt Eclipse was responsible guys" he sighed.

"Yeah, kinda looks that's way" Danny replied offhand as he poured over the data on his terminal.

"Do you think we should run another virus sweep? Only this time set the sweeper programme to E setting in case we missed any multilayered Trojans?" one of the other techs asked.

"That might be worth a shot: set the sweeper to E and start it off in the main data-reader forum, and from there branch it out to the rest of the software-subsidiaries in the security net" Darren ordered as he got back to work, "I'm gonna check the relay's one more time"

In the ready-room across the way, Majestrix was still deep in concentration as she studied all the available data pertaining to Eclipse's movements on the night of the hack; so far she'd been able to account for every single thing she did, right up until she entered the computer hub, supposedly to do some research on the internet. Since all online connections going in and out of the base were strictly monitored, it was simple enough to check out the history of what she looked at from the terminal's memory banks...

Thus far nothing out of the ordinary stood out: until, an inconsistency in the data-stream indicated that Eclipse had somehow bypassed the security net's online monitoring programmes and locked out Teletran's main terminal tracking software. What she did without the Autobot's AI keeping tabs was suspicious indeed, and it had the hallmark of a hack in progress; until she noticed _how long_ Eclipse had actually been 'under the radar'...

Three minutes and ten seconds

That didn't match up with the time of the hack on Ashley's file; a classified file like that hidden under multiple layers of firewalls and trip-viruses would've taken a pro of Novastar or Darren's caliber _at least_ ten minutes to access: and while Eclipse was a good hacker she wasn't a swift one.

As Majestrix leaned back in her chair, she allowed a small fleeting sense of relief wash through her systems; this fact proved Eclipse _didn't_ access Ashley's file. But at the same time her pump clenched up in worry: for while it proved her innocent of one crime, it didn't prove her innocence absolute. What was she doing for those three minutes and ten seconds? And what was she doing that it required her to bypass Teletran's security network and not use her ID codes?

Something wasn't right, and it made her uncomfortable.

As Majestrix brought up the security feed of Eclipse in the computer hub, and watched it play out for the fiftieth time: she passed a deep tired sigh as she rubbed her optics, and began to wonder what was going on, and began to imagine the worst.

As she brought her gaze back up to the monitor, something suddenly caught her optic...

Pausing the feed, she sat there in confusion: wondering if it was her mind beginning to toy with her, or if she really had missed something.

As she rewound the feed back a few seconds, it was there again; and realizing it wasn't her imagination, she hit the play button and watched the area of the feed intently, trying not to miss whatever it was...

Sure enough, she saw it; at the far left-hand side of the feed, way down in the corner: a shadow darted out across the floor, moving fast from out behind one giant hard-drive and ducking down behind another. Eclipse stared at the feed in amazement, how in the pit did she miss that? (that corner of the room was dimly lit so perhaps it wasn't surprising it didn't show up clearly in the first place); as she played that section of the security feed over and over, she realized the shadow wasn't a trick of the light or a glitch in the camera's feed, it was a real person (or something that moved like a person at least): and watching her daughter at the exact same moment it darted out, she saw Eclipse turn her head to one side as if something caught her attention, but she must have dismissed it, as she simply went back to concentrating on what she was doing.

"Someone else was in there with her?" Majestrix thought aloud in astonishment, "But-, why did she-"

She nearly jumped when the door slid open and Crystalwing strode in.

"Forgive the intrusion, but this couldn't wait" she stated

"What's wrong?" the commander asked as she noticed the look of concern on her friend's face.

"We need to talk: about Eclipse..." Crystalwing replied as she strode in and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

She cautiously peered around the corner and scanned the corridor ahead: checking to make sure the coast was clear, neither seeing nor detecting anyone approaching, Eclipse quietly paced along, keeping her scanners attuned to the intersection ahead.

"Going somewhere?" Twilightveil asked as she stepped out from the shadows. Eclipse didn't even blink as she watched the femme approach; having known her all her life she knew all her tricks, and that stealthy little move was nothing new to her. "Aren't you supposed to be confided to your quarters?"

"You're one of the resident telepath's, you already know what I'm looking for" Eclipse curtly replied

"For once, I actually don't" Twilightveil sighed as she stepped in front of her, "You're keeping your mental guard up more than usual, and it has me worried"

"I don't need your concern" Eclipse stated flatly as she tried to step around her, but Twilightveil held her wings out to block her path.

"You may not, but _we_ worry none the less; and after last night I would think you'd have more sense than to let your pride get the better of you like this" Twilightveil stated.

"If your here simply to give me another lecture-"

"-I'm not here to lecture you as an Autobot" Twilightveil cut her off: "...I'm here to reason with you as your friend. Forgive me for sounding patronizing, but you do still remember the meaning of that word don't you?"

Eclipse didn't reply

"Don't be so stubborn: for a femme as smart as you it's most unbecoming of your character" Twilightveil frowned.

"I don't recall giving you permission to read my mind" Eclipse frowned

"I didn't..." the bird femme stated, "And I don't have too, not when it comes to you"

Eclipse stilled: slightly surprised, but didn't let it show. Knowing she now had her full attention; she obliged and listened to the younger femme.

Sensing she was willing to hear her out, Twilightveil continued in a more frank and open tone: "...I've sensed _everything_ that's happened on this base for the past week. You _know _how sensitive I am, and _you_ of all people know the true reach of my power and what I can do. I don't doubt that you have your concerns about the defectors, that's already duly noted; but what I can't believe, is that you'd let your paranoia take you to the point where you _wouldn't even consider_ checking in with me or my mother first..." the femme frowned as her tone turned serious, "Putting your pride above your sense of reason is one fault I can tolerate; but to put yourself before your fellow bots because you couldn't stand to be wrong? Even to the point _you doubted me?_ ...Where did this mistrust come from? Why are you suddenly so ready to believe everyone could be a liability?" she pleaded

Eclipse didn't reply at first, but seemed to be thinking it over before she reluctantly replied: "...We never took in defectors before, the risk was, and still is too great"

"True, but that was then," Twilightveil sighed as her voice softened into a more understanding tone: "Things have changed considerably in the time we've been away; were it not for the fact that I can sense the years we've missed in the minds of all bots, and the defectors, I would've thought something was seriously off" she explained

For a long uneasy moment Eclipse didn't reply, nor did she hesitate; Twilightveil couldn't help but huff through her vents as her friend's stubbornness began to grow a little irksome on her.

"Look, you're counter-telepathy may be able to block most of your thought's from my mind's optic, but I can _still _sense how you think Eclipse" she frowned, "...We may have not have always been able to see optic to optic on how we do things, but _not once_ have I ever given you a piece of intel that was a bum steer or questionable. I may not be your idea of a good warrior, but at least I was always an honest one. I'd like to think you could extend the same courtesy"

"A bum what?"

"Oh, just something I picked up from the humans by accident-" Twilightveil waved off before getting back on track: "Listen, the last few days have been stressful enough without Longrange causing more than a few senses, and my sister teetering on the brink of insanity and nearly killing a human in the process; your mother _does not need_ your attitude or pride unsettling things as it is. You've already done a good job of that by gossiping with the likes of Tracks and Mirage" she folded her arms.

"Keeping everyone aware of the inherent hazards is not a crime Twilight" Eclipse retorted

"No, but spreading fear and doubt in the name of righteousness is hardly ethical let alone moral; and your uncle would certainly not approve of it"

"If he had half a processor we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"You mean _you_ wouldn't be in this situation" Twilight shot back, "Optimus is trying his best to make things work out for everyone, and no matter what he does it'll never be good enough for you. Tell me, would the banishing the defectors and humans from the base make you feel safer? Or better yet, would the subjugation of this entire planet put your mind at ease?"

Eclipse didn't reply

"I'm sorry, but no matter what you do or how hard you try, you _have to let go_ of the illusion of control Eclipse"

"Illusion?," Eclipse stared at her in confusion

"Yes: of all the things I could always sense of you, the need to always be in control was the one thing you couldn't bear to live without; no matter how bad things got or how slim our odds became in battle, you _always_ found a way to turn the situation to your favor, and for what we were required to do back then it was something we needed too. But _this_ is different Eclipse, like it or not, our usual way of doing things is not a priority here; everyone relies on everyone in this place: we all need each other to get along. And for what it's worth, the defectors need it too because that is what they've chosen"

"...That pretty much answers my next question" Eclipse stated

"If they were up to something, don't you think I would've told you?"

Eclipse didn't reply; feeling dejected, Twilightveil let her wings droop at her sides as she turn to leave.

"Do you ever think maybe you've been doing this too long?" Twilightveil thought aloud,

"Doing what?"

"_You know exactly what I mean!"_ Twilightveil snapped angrily, "You of all people know better than to try and mislead a telepath! _How dare_ you presume me to be naive like that! ..."

A tense strained minute passed as the bird femme calmed herself down, all the while staring at Eclipse, who hardly even blinked.

"You need to stop thinking like a soldier for once, and do something else for a change" Twilight sighed

"Like what? There's hardly anything to do around here"

"For one thing, you need to get that notion out of your mind; the defectors are _not_ cons anymore and that is the end of it, period. Also, if you're wondering why nothing seems to make sense? Try being openly curious for once and actually _asking_ for the answers, you don't need to sneak around all the time and you _certainly _don't need to be so reclusive and secretive, it'll only temp people to talk behind your back, and when your paranoia gets the better of you, you'll only have yourself to blame for it..." the bird femme stated frankly, "By the way, I know you didn't hack that file, and your mother knows it too: I suggest you give her your thanks " she added before folding up her wings and walking off.

Eclipse just stared at the back of her as she disappeared down the corridor; part of her wanted to go after her and put her in her place; but knowing what Twilightveil was and what she could do, she had no right to be so ballsy with her, and for once, she hated not being able to have the last word. But regardless, she knew the femme was always on the level: and even when times got tough she was always open and honest with her (a quality that went hand in hand with most telepaths); and it was true to say that not once had she ever given her a reason to question her ability or wisdom, even if said wisdom didn't make sense at times.

As she contemplated what Twilightveil had told her, something began to pang at the back of Eclipse's mind, a sense of something akin to hesitation made her thoughts begin to turn in another direction.

_Spreading fear and doubt in the name of righteousness is hardly ethical let alone moral._

Fear was the only way to attain control: of all the ways to hold someone in your grasp it had always proven to be the most effective, both with your enemies _and_ your allies, and she never hesitated to use it.

But then it suddenly struck her; the cons never hesitated to use fear too...

If she hadn't been her, her spark would've sunk to the bottom of her spark chamber: instead, a empty coldness filled her, and for once, it didn't feel good.

And that actually bothered her.

**: Eclipse, come in please:** Prime said over the comm

**: Eclipse here, what is it? : **She replied

**: Your mother and I need to see you right away, there has been a development, and we require your presence: **

**: On my way:** she replied

* * *

**Ah jeez Eclipse, pull yer finger out already!**

**Next chapter, it's time for a reality check, and not just for Eclipse; hopefully we can start to move the story in a more enlightening direction. These issues need ironing out, or at least acknowledged and admitted to. **

**BTW: The old lady in the white dress; keep an eye on her, she'll be popping up in places throughout the story arc, & trust, you'll never guess who/what she is! 'naff said!**

**Let me know what you think! Much love peeps!**


	10. Chpt 9: Contemplation

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 9: Contemplation

"So as you can see, clearly someone else was in the hub on the night in question; they must have activated one of the terminals and by-passed the ID check-point, using an unregistered password that was encrypted with a low-spectral access code" Majestrix pointed to the data on the screen.

"And it corresponds with what we found too; even though the culprit made sure to cover their tracks there's evidence that a modified Trojan-type virus _did_ access the security net: using a Type-24 access key that by-passed Teletran's main access gates and used a stealth matrix to throw the sweeper programmes off. Using that kinda software: it probably would've taken fifteen minutes, maybe more? In any case it proves Eclipse wasn't responsible" Darren concurred.

As the gathered bots and humans exchanged nonplussed glances, Eclipse stood unfazed: and merely watched as the meeting proceeded.

"Then in that case, we now have to look at the possibility that either someone managed to sneak in from the outside, or, someone on this base has a hidden agenda" Bishop pointed out, to which everyone glanced at each other in worry.

"Going by this line of thinking I'm inclined to agree with the latter; our perimeter security plus additional internal security makes the probability of an external breach very low. But, I would heed on the side of caution and take any possibility into account" Prowl added.

"If there is an intruder among us, and they are masquerading one of us, it is not just the classified files that are compromised" Prime spoke in a grave tone, "We have to find this perpetrator and catch them before they have a chance to do any further damage"

"On that note, I will personally be heading up the investigation from the human angle: Briggs, Witwicky, Ainsley, you'll be assisting me and Major Lennox. I'll leave the selection of the Autobot investigatory team to you Prime" the Colonel stated.

"Thank you Colonel Bishop" the Autobot leader nodded respectfully, "The rest of you return to the command center, Prowl and Red Alert will be heading up the investigation from our end: you'll receive your orders from them. Dismissed"

As the other humans and bots left the office, Eclipse turned to leave...

"Not you Eclipse: there's one thing we have to address..." Optimus stopped her. When everyone had finally left: only she, her mother, John and Ashley, plus Ravage and Morri were left in Prime's office. To say the atmosphere was a little strained would be putting it lightly; as the purple femme folded her arms and glared down at the humans with an ounce of disdain, John gazed up at her and sighed reluctantly.

"...Well, never let it be said us Briggs are not men of our word. I apologize for the accusation I made against you, and I'm sorry for the way I went about it" he stated with a slight hint of sarcasm, elbowing Ashley in the side.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too" he huffed reluctantly.

"I suppose I too must lend my apologies for the unfounded assumption of your guilt" Ravage drolled as he casually got up and stretched out his hind quarters; Eclipse shot him a particularly harsh glare, which didn't faze the panther in any way. "Fine..." he replied flatly, and hopped down off the desk and left the office without another word.

"And?" Majestrix folded her arms

"And what?" Eclipse asked curtly

"Don't _you_ have something to add to this? Everyone has given their apologies, I think it's high time you gave yours" her mother stated.

"For what?"

"Don't feign naivete with me child, we're _both_ much too smart for that!" Majestrix reprimanded as she stepped around and stood in front of her, "You may not have breached protocol but your behavior towards everyone, especially the Briggs boy, is simply deplorable; and it's high time you got an attitude adjustment young femme!"

"I don't owe that _thing_ anything" Eclipse frowned,

"Oh so its gonna be like _that_ is it?" Ashley nodded in a factious tone as he cracked his knuckles, "Well why don't you-"

"Enough!" Prime stated firmly, "John, you and your son are free to go"

Without a word, John left the office, gesturing to Ashley to follow him; huffing in annoyance, the pre-teen followed him out, flicking his tail-blade in annoyance.

"...You too Morri..." Prime gazed down at the brunette. As she climbed down to the floor from her perch on the desk, Morri glanced up at Eclipse, but her gaze was not met as the femme (purposely) paid her no attention; but still, she wordlessly kept her eyes on her as she left the office.

Once the doors closed behind them, Prime stood up from his chair, and with a stern look of assertion written across his face plates, approached the young femme, while her mother stepped to one side. "...To say that your treatment of handling the others is deplorable, doesn't even come close to describing the level of austerity that is so abundant in your attitude" he stated with a hint of annoyance, before passing a heavy sigh through his vents and softening his tone, "...I know what you are capable of Eclipse, no scout has ever come close to matching your level of stealth and swiftness, in battle or otherwise; but your pride and persecution complex outweighs your selflessness, reason and sense: and to distance yourself from the rest of us will serve you no other purpose other than to confound your own fears"

"So I've heard; but is it wrong to remain diligent with extreme prejudice when we may have potential traitors in our ranks?" Eclipse shot back

"Not when it comes at the expense of putting those I trust under the microscope to be scrutinized inside and out" Optimus stated firmly, "I won't lie to you, the specter of a possible spy is always a concerning issue, and one I _never_ take lightly. But many of the bots on this base have served under my command _for eons_, and their characters are well above reproach"

"It's not your bots that concern me" Eclipse corrected. Knowing who she was talking about, Prime passed another discerning sigh; "...You are not the only one to have raised concerns over letting the seekers and drones defect to our side. And suffice to say, for all that may be said and done, there are no absolute guarantee's that they may have truly changed or not" he offered

"What! Then why did you-"

"_-Because someone has to make the first move if this peace is to stand any chance of lasting!_" he cut her off abruptly, and paused as if ashamed he'd lost his temper like that: but the tone of his voice told her loud and clear that it would be wise not to argue back, and so she let her uncle regain his composure before he continued in a calmer voice: "...Eclipse: with Megatron gone and the Allspark destroyed there is very little point in continuing the fight; yes I admit it may be a large gamble to try and bring the war to a complete end, full stop: but for the first time we have a real chance to try and make something of it. And to do that, _everyone_ must be willing to put the past behind them. If not for our sakes then at least for Jay-jay's; she is the first of our kind not to be born during the heat of combat, she hasn't seen the horrors of battle nor known the fear that the shadow of death brings. We owe it to her to make sure she has a future, one that is free from fear and terror, and carries the promise of freedom, choice, and dignity"

As Eclipse contemplated his words, she knew Optimus had a good point, and knew she couldn't refute it.

"...I won't argue with you on that..." she stated in a calmer tone, "But I'm _not_ comfortable with the idea that we treat our former enemies as our equals; changed or not their histories can _never_ be wiped clean. And all our comrades who died fighting them: their bodies are still lying at their feet. How in the pit do you expect _anyone_ to look past that?"

"This is not a case of turning a blind optic to their former lives; it's about confronting the differences that set us apart, and recognizing that we are all cybertronians deep down. Because no matter what any of us say or do, that is all we are. _All of us_" Prime stated

"Considering the carnage they've reaped over the eons, that's a tall order even for _you_ to swallow"

"...Tell me..." Prime changed the subject slightly, "What do you know of my officers?"

Eclipse raised a skeptical optic ridge; wondering where he was taking this, but she didn't ask or argue, and simply replied: "...I know most of them have been at your side through just about every front-line battle and major campaign; They have extensive knowledge and skill when it comes to engaging the enemy head-on, and most of them have commanded units, even entire battalions of their own at one point of another"

"Do you think of them as loyal? Above suspicion?" he asked her

"Considering their extensive track records: yes"

"Would it be of interest to know, that Jetfire was a Decepticon once? ..."

Eclipse was actually surprised, and for once it showed on her face as her optic ridges went up.

"And not just any Decepticon: but the first commander of the seeker armada?" Prime added

For once Eclipse didn't know what to say or how to reply, except to ask: "How-..." she tried to word the question right, "...What happened?"

"Considering he has a passion for telling old war stories, I'll let you ask him yourself..." Optimus smiled before turning serious again, "But when you do, I _strongly recommend_ you keep an open mind, _and listen_ to what he has to tell you..."

"And on the subject of listening..." Majestrix interjected with a cool yet unreadable tone, "You've yet to tell us what you were up to that night. You may not have hacked that file, but what was so secretive that you by-passed Teletran's security-net with an unregistered user-code and password? ...Despite the trouble this whole incident has stirred up I'm willing to hear you out: regardless of whatever it is, I just want to know what and why"

Eclipse didn't reply

"...Please Eclipse: staying quiet won't help, and as your commanding officer I _have_ to know what you did" Optimus stated

"...The truth? ..." Eclipse reluctantly sighed, "The truth is, I don't know what to believe any more? Everyone's saying everything's changed, but how can it when we've been doing the same things over and over and over again for near-countless eons? After everything we've seen and endured, how could _anything _change? ...Most of the time I am a scout, but I've also interrogated thousands of double-agents, spies and traitors: I know people lie, so you'll forgive me if I approach every situation with extreme prejudice; it's taught me to be vigilant, and to never take anyone's word at face value, which is why that night I wanted to know for myself, the true facts of what was really going on"

"And?" her mother pressed her

Eclipse hesitated as that cold empty feeling crept back inside her, and something akin to humility began to make itself known at the front of her mind: "...Nothing was out of place: all the files were in order, no evidence of suspicious activity was evident (although know we know differently), and no evidence of typical Decepticon hacking procedures was present, or _had_ been present"

"And that's all?" Optimus asked

"Yes"

"You do realize we run security checks everyday to look for those kinds of intrusions?" he asked sceptically

"Yes"

"Then why did you see fit to break protocol to check the system yourself?" her mother demanded

"To be absolutely certain for myself"

Majestrix wasn't convinced: "...I've heard that before, more times than I'd care to count; and it is an excuse that has long out-run its course. Why did you _really_ by-pass the security-net?" she demanded

"...I don't know what to say: other than everyone has seriously fallen out of touch with reality. It wasn't just evidence of the cons activity I was looking for, I wanted to see how much access the humans had to Teletran-1: to say I'm astounded that we're even _regarding them_ as our equals is an understatement, but to grant them access to Teletran and let them use it like they would their own technology? How can you be so reckless?" she frowned up at Prime; "The humans are just as much a security risk as the cons, and with their sheer numbers they could easily outgun us a thousand to one should they decide to go back on this 'Alien/Autobot Cooperation Act'"

"This alliance with the humans has not been without its difficulties; but to judge them solely by their past misdeeds would be unfair to say the least: humanity has much potential and much to offer, just like we did back in the beginning of the golden age; to strike them down before they've had the chance to evolve to their full fruition would make us no better than Megatron was" Optimus stated

"But how can they evolve when they stunt their own cultural and genetic progression to the point of stagnation? Their primitive and violent" Eclipse argued.

"So were we once; do not forget Eclipse, even our great civilization was seeded from humble and primitive beginnings, and long before the golden age ever came about, we committed horrendous atrocities and fought among ourselves incessantly"

"Yes, but we had the Primes to guide us; the humans are so short lived that their empires, kingdoms and nation only last several thousand years at a time. This nation? The United States of America? It's barely united as it is never mind the fact every other nation that holds great economic sway will hardly endure into the rest of the century"

"Whatever course the river of human history flows, _it will not_ be our place to dictate what they can and cannot do; we are nether their masters nor their servants: I'd like to think we can offer them some wisdom and guidance along the way, but whatever they decide to do, we will be standing on the sidelines. And that is how it will be" Prime stated

"If they do try anything that is a bridge we will cross when we come to it. But for now, you cannot take it upon yourself to openly scrutinize the alliance just because a few 'bad apples' might think otherwise; and for the most part they are good allies: I'm not going to brush that fact aside just because it makes you uncomfortable" Majestrix added

"Suit yourself, I couldn't care less what you decide to do" she spat back at her mother, "But you?-" she turned back to her uncle, "How can you consider the 'Witwicky' human your friend when it was _him _that destroyed the Allspark! Our only means of saving our home-planet! _How could you just stand there and let him do it?_ Even if he did kill Megatron in the process, letting the cube go like that should _never_ have even been option in the first place!"

As he studied the look of bitterness in her optics, Prime couldn't help but pass a sigh of disappointment, as he dropped his gaze in disheartening lament: "..._You weren't there_, you don't know what it is like, to have to ask so much of a child..." he met her gaze with a more pleading look, "...If there were no limits I would _never_ have asked Sam in the first place. But fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing, and I had to make a choice; I choose Sam, and he didn't let us down... Even when he and the others fell through the rift to that other earth and discovered the Dark Spark, he came through for us again. _They all came through for us_. The loyalty, bravery, sacrifice and selflessness they all displayed, should be the standard by which we _all_ measure ourselves. To sacrifice one chance to live in favor of another is not ignorance nor foolishness Eclipse, and I was _not_ about to let the humans pay for our mistakes..." he explained, "...And were we to do it all over again, my choice will _always_ be the same"

For a few long uneasy minutes Eclipse didn't know what to do or what to say; part of her wanted to lash out at her uncle for letting go of the one and only means of restoring their world, and to tell him to tell the humans where to stick it: among everything else she saw that was wrong with the way things are. But with very little options left, it was getting to the point she didn't want to be at. With her uncle and mother making more sense and reason than her (and Primus knows she hated them both for it) she knew this couldn't be dragged any further...

This was getting petty, and on some level she knew it, but she was so annoyed at not having her own way that she couldn't care less what others thought of her: _she knew she was right_, and no one would convince her otherwise.

_Your pride and persecution complex outweighs your selflessness, reason and sense_

Something about those words made her feel-...uneasy. Like she wasn't seeing straight, or that somehow the world was turning in a very different direction and she was the only one who saw it. Or was it the other way around? Was it _possible _she had this all wrong? That she wasn't the one who was turning in the right direction? She may not have always agreed with her uncle's logic or sense (pit, she thought he was too soft-spark for his own good, period), but she knew his wisdom was always right on the mark (just like Twilightveil's: she hated how those two followed the same philosophical lines of thought) and very hard to refute when he had a point to make.

But _persecution complex?_ Is that how he saw her? ...Is that how _everyone_ saw her? As paranoid and obsessive with every little detail as that half-delusional mech in the security hub? (Red Alert she reminded herself) More often than not she was _always_ sure of herself, her job as a scout and interrogator left little room for idle things like friends, pleasantries and simple little enjoyments; that's not what she was about, that wasn't the impression she should give. If people knew she had a weak spot of any kind it could leave her vulnerable, and if a spy was watching nearby, they could easily exploit that weakness; no, she had to stay firm, she had to stay hard, and always, never-

It was at that point her mind stopped, and everything else seemed to become suspended in the dull sense of realization.

As she tried to get back on her original train of thought, she found her perspective was now inexplicably in a very different place; it was like looking at an old worn aged frame of armor, and seeing all the dents, dings and micro-cracks laced across the surface, and seeing just how hard a life its owner had. In some daunting way she couldn't help but feel like she was looking in a mirror, and for the first time she could see just how hard the war had been on her.

For the first time (probably) in her life, a mortal chill ran up her spinal unit; and she felt quite unsure about everything...

"...The standard by which we all should be measured? ..." She repeated unconsciously. The look of uncertainly in her optics hadn't escaped her uncle and mother's notice. And as they studied her unease, something at the back of their minds made them wonder if their words had actually gotten through to her? Knowing how stubborn Eclipse was, that would be the day...unless? ...

"You haven't said that since-..." she trailed off, and changed the subject, "-Since I broke protocol I'll receive whatever punishment you deem fit to serve me" she stated in a more complying tone (much to her mother's surprise, thought she didn't let it show). After a careful moment of thought, Prime replied: "...Considering the nature of your intentions, and no malice was the objective, I will let you go with a caution: but if you do this again, you _will _be sent to the brig for breach of protocol. Am I clear?"

"Yes"

"Yes what?" her mother prompted her

"Yes sir" Eclipse corrected herself, "Anything else sir?"

"...One more thing...I recommend you take the rest of the day off to contemplate your actions: and think about where you want to go from here" Prime advised. An unusual order to give, but something told her not to question it: and with a respectful nod, she left the office without another word.

"That went, _slightly_ better than I anticipated..." Majestrix raised a skeptical optic ridge, "Did I miss something? Or was that what I think it was: I saw in her optics?"

"...You could be right..." Prime shrugged, "Either way, I doubt she'll hold onto her stubbornness forever; a femme as smart as her, something's got to give"

"You say that like it's happened a million times" his sister deadpanned, "This is _Eclipse_ we're talking about: _hardly anything_ gives in her mind"

"There's a first time for everything" Optimus smiled, to which Majestrix couldn't help but smirk.

Outside the office, Eclipse looked both ways up and down the intersecting corridors; no one was around, and for the first time in a very long time, she felt somewhat lost.

"Contemplate your actions" she quietly thought aloud; but what was there to contemplate? As far as she was aware she'd only done her duty (even if it meant breaking the rules), there was nothing to rethink or reconsider: she always knew what to do, even when there were no orders given she never procrastinated about anything, and she sure as pit didn't need to rely on others for help (unless she was required to).

So why this feeling of unease?

And then it suddenly hit her; what did she _really _know?

In her prideful arrogance, she'd neglected the first important rule of being a scout: always get your facts straight and never jump to conclusions before you've learnt everything you need to know. In this instance, it would be way easier to simply wave it off as a trivial oversight; she knew she was right about the defectors and humans: she didn't need to go looking to for anything she didn't already know...

Or did she?

Sure she hated the defectors, and the humans she couldn't care for any less; but the one thing that bugged her more than them, was the idea of everyone thinking she was becoming paranoid and slowly going off her processor. She'd seen it many times before; the hard demands of combat and the stress that comes with it could be far too much for some, and over time they succumbed to their insecurities, fears and paranoia: eventually, they either slowly spiraled down into a black hole of despair and depression, or quite unexpectedly they'd just snap, and in the blindness of their psychosis they'd kill anyone standing in their way, even their own friends.

Of all the fears to ever fear; that was the one that never failed to send a sharp chill up her spinal unit. The idea of people talking behind her back, whispering and rumoring that she was losing it never failed to make her nervous: the idea of being considered a liability haunted her to no end, and in some way she couldn't help but wonder if this whole incident could've been avoided all together, if only she hadn't broke protocol.

Then suddenly, she realized the paradox of it all: on the one hand she was scared to be thought of as unreliable, but at the same time she needed to do what was right, even if it meant breaking her fellow bots trust in her...Frowning bitterly, she wanted to blame someone, _anyone_ else for this mess, but she knew she couldn't, and she hated it.

"You know? A little humility won't do you any harm..." Alpha Trion suggested as he came walking along; the femme did a double take, where did he come from? She didn't hear him approaching: putting it aside, she straightened up and put on her poker face. "Staying angry at yourself and wishing for this all to be someone else's fault won't do any good; I've seen it turn sour much too often" he added in a sorrowful tone.

"I don't recall asking for your opinion" she stated flatly

"You don't ask anyone for their opinion. Always so sure of everything; your confidence has always been your strong point, but your willingness to give and take has always been a little, _shortcoming_" he said offhand as he studied the orb atop his staff,

"Look, I didn't ask to be given another lecture today okay?" Eclipse huffed in annoyance as she folded her arms.

"And what makes you think I came along to lecture you?, hm? ..."

"Well? Don't you? You're the great wise Alpha Trion, lecturing on the virtues of doing what's right is part of your job"

"I give guidance when needed, maybe a gentle push in the right direction every now and then: but I don't make it a priority to lecture others on things they already know"

"Then why are you here?" she frowned

"Why are you?" he gazed at her with wise look; Eclipse was taken aback, and didn't reply to that.

"...Tell me...Why do you think you know people so well?" he asked innocently

"I'm an interrogator: it's my job to know how people think" she stated

"Your job?" he contemplated aloud, "What about when you have some down time? Do you not think it wise to get to know the lighter side of how other people think?"

Eclipse's stopped herself from retorting with a: 'and why would I want to do that?'; "...It's-...not something that ever really occurred to me before..." she replied.

"Then why not give it a try? You might be pleasantly surprised with what others have to offer" Alpha offered

"And what good would that do? After what's happened no one will be willing to talk to me on good terms ever again" she argued

"And how do you know that for sure?"

"Because cybertronian's aren't hard to figure out" she retorted

"Hm? ..." he stroked the long segmented spokes of his 'beard', "A cybertronian's one thing, but what about a human?"

Eclipse snapped her head up and stared at him as if he'd taken leave of his senses; "_And just how am I supposed to do that?_ They know I hate them and they don't care for me! How the slag am I supposed to even _approach_ them when they're not even willing to listen in the first place?"

"Ashley was willing to listen to you, did _you_ listen to him? ..." Alpha pointed out: to which Eclipse stilled in nonplussed realization. The Trion simply placed his hand on her shoulder; "...Don't assume or presume, just ask, and listen...well, cheerio..." he waved good-bye as he turned and walked off down the corridor.

Eclipse just stood there, that sense of unease creeping back in and squeezing her insides with the realization she'd been an unreasonable fool. As she began to wander down the corridor, something else came to mind, "Alpha, wait!-" she called out as she turned around. But to her mild surprise, the mech was gone; "...Why doesn't that surprise me?" she thought aloud. Right now she needed a pick-me-up, and a cube of energon was just the thing; heading off in the direction of the rec-room, she couldn't get her focus straight, and no matter how much she tried to put it out of her mind, she couldn't shake off the notion that she could be wrong about a lot of things.

Twenty five thousand years; was it really long enough for things to change so radically?

Who could say?

She didn't want to believe it, but if she had to, what would that mean? She didn't know, and she _hated_ not knowing.

* * *

Elsewhere on the base:

Of all the inevitable threats to occur, a spy was not the most surprising; as she contemplated the how's and means of infiltrating the base, Blackshot was already thinking up counter-measures to put in place, and tricks to try and nab the culprit.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the tiny human figure standing at the side of the corridor...

"HEY!" a little voice shouted out; Blackshot nearly jumped out of her armor as she looked around for the source of the sound. "DOWN HERE!" it called out again: Blackshot looked down, and was somewhat taken aback to see a tiny human female standing square in between her feet. Initiating her scanners and running a quick diagnostic, she was surprised to see the human in question was in fact a sparkling (or a 'child' as the internet referred to it), and from the overall size and formation of her skeletal structure, she couldn't have been more than four or five years old.

"What's yer name?" she demanded sternly as she folded her arms and puffed out her chest.

'_It talks? ...'_ Blackshot thought offhand: running another quick online cross-check, she found that human offspring can start trying to pronunciate words as young as nine or twelve months old; _'Huh'_,"Blackshot...and you are?" she replied flatly.

"I'm Annabelle, and I'm here to pick a bone with you!-" the little honey blond stated firmly. Blackshot was a little befuddled as to how a bone would be involved, but let it go and continued to stare down as the four year continued: "Did you give Jay-jay an owie?"

"An 'owie'?" the femme raised an optic ridge

"You know? A boo-boo? Jay-jay say's you hurt her, and I don't like it when bullies hurt my friends!"

Remembering the incident in question, Blackshot's optic ridges pulled down in a sharp frown: "I was a little rough, yes" she deadpanned.

"A little rough is still rough, it makes no difference!" Annabelle frowned up at her; "Now you're gonna go an' apologize to Jay-jay, or I'll kick yer ass to the kerb!" Annabelle stated. If it were anyone else, the sight of a little four year old threatening to beat the crap out of a twenty seven foot Autobot warrior would've been cute if not adorable, but Blackshot was neither sentimental nor mushy, and the thought of a sparkling wanting to fight her, was somewhat of an insult in her book. "Are _you_ threatening _me?_" Blackshot glowered down at Annabelle, who (unsurprisingly) was neither intimidated nor afraid, and simply shot the femme a glare of her own.

"Lady, I shot a Decepticon's eye out and then blew him up with a box of firecrackers: _you don't wanna mess with me sister..._" Annabelle stated in calm yet threatening tone.

Having had enough of this nonsense, Blackshot straightened up and carried on walking.

"Hey! Where'd you think you're going? I'm not done with you yet!" Annabelle demanded, but Blackshot didn't bother to reply. Now pissed off, Annabelle took off her Autobot medal, pressed the little button on the top, which flipped open the back to reveal the little set of three buttons, and aimed the Autobot insignia square at the femme's aft.

"Okay, if that's how you wanna do this, fine by me!" she called out as she pressed the red button.

At the same time nearby:

"Look, she can't have gotten very far, not with those little legs!" Skywarp reasoned as she tried to catch up to a worried Chromia.

"You were _supposed_ to be watching her!" the femme reprimanded sternly.

"I know I know! I only put her down for like one second and when I turned back she's gone!" the seeker huffed in exasperation.

"Well that just goes to show you never take your optics off a sparkling!"

"_Ya think?!_" Skywarp retorted, but quickly shut up when Chromia shot him a sharp glare; as they approached an intersection in the corridor, she stopped and looked up and down and ahead: taking a deep breath, and tried to think.

"Okay, where could she have gone? ..." she thought aloud; before the seeker had the chance to offer a suggestion, a loud bang followed by a shrill yell made both of them jump.

"-What the slag was that?" Chromia gasped

"Dunno, but it came from down there" Skywarp pointed down the right-side corridor; the sound of a heated argument soon followed, and one small high pitched voice in particular got both their attention.

"Anny!" Chromia gasped in a panic as she and Skywarp both took off in the direction of the shouting. As they rounded the corner, the sight before them was somewhat, odd. Blackshot was lying on her side, propped up on her elbow while holding up her free arm to protect her face; standing in front of her, Annabelle was aiming her medal directly at the femme's face.

"Anny? What-" Chromia gasped, noticing the glowering look on Blackshot's face, the femme was quick to swoop down and pick up the four year old; "What have you been doing this time?!" she demanded angrily.

"Nothing! Your pet shot me in the aft!" the black femme spat angrily.

"What? How can she-" Skywarp stopped when he suddenly remembered the medals the Autobots had given their human friends, and the 'security features' that came with them; looking down at Blackshot, he noticed fresh scorch marks on her hips, and looking around, was even more astounded to see her left aft plate and part of her thigh armor lying on the floor some several meters away. "-Whoa..." he blinked in surprise.

Chromia too was equally astonished: "Anny, why did you-"

"-She didn't apologize to Jay-jay! Make her say sorry or I'll shoot something else off!" the little honey-blond ranted at the top of her voice. Realizing what she meant, Chromia couldn't help but heave a sigh, and tried to explain: "Anny, sweetie: you can't do that to someone just because-"

"-She said she'd been rough with Jay-jay!" Annabelle cut her off, "That's not on!"

"What's 'not on' is letting the pets run around the base armed with laser-weapons with no due restraint!" Blackshot growled as she gingerly got back up on her feet; the extent of the damage could be seen more clearly as she stood upright: a good portion of her left leg armor was burnt and damaged, but the underside was still intact with no leaks or sparking circuits.

"You watch your mouth!" Chromia snapped defensively, "The humans are not pets! _Especially_ not their sparklings!"

"Could've fooled me, that one yaps insistently enough" Blackshot shot back as she glared at the four year old.

"Oh yeah? Get a mouth full'a this!-" Annabelle aimed her medal at the femme again, but didn't get a chance to fire as Chromia quickly handed her to Skywarp, who kept her behind the femme's frame and out of Blackshot's line of sight; "AW COME ON! No fair!" she whined. "Anny, the grown-ups are talking now sweetie, hold on a minute please..." Chromia was quick reply before readdressing Blackshot again; "...I don't care what you say to me, but _no-one ever _talks like that to my charge!" she growled as she got up in the femme's face, "If you come anywhere near her or Jay-jay again I'll-"

"-You'll do what?" Blackshot cut her off, "Get into a fight with a superior officer? Not a wise idea"

"You'd be a big acceptation" Chromia glowered up at the warrior, "And believe me, you wouldn't be the first flyer whose wings I've clipped!"

"I'm sure. But regardless; either you keep your 'human' on a leash, or don't let it out at all: understood?" the black femme stated; Chromia was about to let rip on her aft (or what was left of it), when Skywarp promptly interjected.

"Actually, I don't recall you apologizing to Jay-jay in the first place" he frowned

"What?" Chromia snapped her head round and stared at him, "Yeah, we had the meeting in Prime's office and gave you a little 'perspective' on what the duties of a guardianship entails, but I don't recall you wanting to offer an apology of any kind: to Jay-jay _or_ us" he stated in a somewhat ballsy tone.

"Is this true?!" Chromia demanded, glaring back at Blackshot.

"I don't see how an apology is necessary: I was acting within my duty to protect my sister's creation" she stated.

"From what?"

"From _him_" Blackshot pointed at Skywarp

"Skywarp? But he's Jay-jay's babysitter! He wouldn't hurt anyone!" Annabelle angrily protested.

Ignoring the child, Blackshot continued: "He is a security risk! And I'll wager he had a part in hacking the classified file"

"That's not possible! Me and Jay-jay were having a movie night with Jazz and the guys the night those files were hacked!" the seeker protested vehemently, "Besides, I'm a seeker, hacking ain't my forte!"

"So you say" Blackshot glared at him.

"He's telling the truth..." Prowl stated as he walked up to them, "I already ran security checks on the defectors and they're all clean; the file was hacked from the computer hub, and none of them were anywhere near the vicinity at the time; plus it couldn't have been by remote, the hub's completely insulated from all electronic and quantum sub-space frequencies..." he regarded Blackshot with a hard look, "..._No one_ but Eclipse and the hacker were in that room, is that understood? ..." he stated in a tone that told her to drop the subject.

"Transparently..." Blackshot deadpanned, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and see Ratchet" she went over to pick up her aft plate and armor, and limped off in the direction of the med-bay.

Once she was out of ear-shot, Annabelle pouted: "I_ really_ don't like her"

"I know, I don't like her much either" Skywarp quietly concurred.

"She's a little high strung, I'll give you that" Prowl sighed, "But that's no excuse for injuring her like that-" he addressed the four year old: "You remember what Optimus said about using that device Annabelle?"

"Only to use it when we're under attack" she pouted

"That's right: and we don't go around blasting those we don't like with lasers; I know what Blackshot did was wrong and there's no excuse for her actions, but we've already dealt with it and the rules are the rules, there are no acceptations youngling" he stated, "Understand? ..."

Annabelle reluctantly nodded

"Very good: I'll let you off with a caution this time, but if this happens again there will be consequences... As you were" he added as he discreetly nodded at Chromia and Skywarp, and went on his way. Looking down at Annabelle, and seeing the annoyed look on her face, Chromia couldn't help but feel as frustrated as her; a femme like Blackshot was enough to test anyone's temperament.

"She didn't say sorry" she angrily huffed

"...I know sweet-spark" Chromia sighed as she gently picked up the four year old in her hands

"And she called me a pet"

"I know, and she should never have said that"

"Why she allowed around the base? She should be in the corner taking a time out, a _long_ time out"

"I know; but if Prowl says she's been punished then she's been punished, there's nothing else we can do"

"But it's still not right she's mean to everyone; why's she like that?"

Thinking about it, why is _anyone _mean? It was a fundamental question, and one that didn't have a straightforward answer; how do you explain to a four year old the emotional ramifications of why bad people are the way they are? The more she tried to think up a suitable answer of offer, the more Chromia realized this would be one of many bridges to cross when she'd eventually have sparklings of her own. It was a subject that was hard for any parent or guardian to touch upon, and in that moment she realized how hard it must have been for Will and Sarah to put into context, the danger the Decepticons pose. To an adult human the world was a big enough place without the Cybertronians putting their existence into perspective, but to a four year old, it was so much bigger, and twice as complicated than that; she found herself respecting the humans that little bit more, and not least their offspring: who she realized, are born resilient for a good reason.

"...Sadly" she sighed, "Some people are; there are many reasons why, and no one explanation in the one answer I'm afraid"

Lighting up a little, Annabelle met the femme's soft blue optics and asked: "Is it, like one of those questions that has more than one answer?"

"In a way?" Chromia shrugged

"They're not easy either: I don't know why we have to have them?"

"That's one of the many mysteries of life sweet-spark" Chromia offered a smile, "And now, I think it's time we got back to the rec-room so we can carry on with our play-date: sound good?"

"Sound's good" Annabelle nodded with a smile, and shuffled about in the femme's cupped hands so she could face front as she began walking in the direction of the rec-room,

**: Hey, is it true? :** She commed Skywarp on her privet frequency, not wishing Annabelle to hear. **: She **_**really**_** didn't apologize to Jay-jay in the first place? : **

Skywarp hesitated a little,:**...*sigh* It got pretty heated during the meeting, not least because Hailey totally flipped her processor. To be honest, I've got no idea what's going on in that femme's head, trying to give her a wide birth's one thing: but there's just **_**no reasoning**_** with her, period. I can understand her mistrust of me, 'Cracker and the drones, that's hardly a moot point in that regard; but suspecting the other bots of getting up to something? I was kinda half expecting Red Alert to come up with something like that, that kinda paranoia's more like him:**

**: Guess Red Alert's gonna be having some competition**: Chromia joked offhand, : **Another paranoid bot in the ranks; that's all we need : **she thought aloud with a hint of frustration.

**: This job's been uncomfortable enough without having to watch the sparkling all the time: having a high-strung warrior like her around watching my every move and breathing down my neck plates at every turn?...Well, let's just say I'd have been okay with a desk job, maybe even shoving crates with 'Cracker down in the storage units :**

**: Seriously? You'd have preferred to work down there?" **

"**Yeah I know, a seeker working underground: how utterly scandalous... Still it would beat not being stared at half the time; I didn't care at first, but after a while it gets annoying: **

**:... Even so, you would haul and stack boxes rather than do something that allows you to fly? : **Chromia raised an optic ridge,** : Why? : **

**: *sigh* ...Considering everything I used to be, I'd rather fade away and be forgotten than go back to that life; and after everything I've done I have no right to want for something better... anything else is fine by me: **

**: You do realize that could be a load of slag your palming off to me right? : **

**: I know, but what other answers can I offer? It's not like I have many options:**

Chromia contemplated it for a moment **: ...You have options, it's just a question of knowing which one will lead you the right way; but in the meantime, you're doing okay, so far: **she offered a small smile.

* * *

Later on that day, mid-afternoon:

"Okay; one, two, three, go!" Sam called out; at the word go Will took off, running behind a pair of tall hard-drives from the corner of the room; "-Okay stop!" Sam called out again as the Major passed one of the terminals, and came to a stop.

"Any good?" he asked as he wandered over to the camera sitting on the tripod; which was hooked up to Glen's laptop: "Let's see..." Glen said offhand as he ran a comparative analysis programme, comparing it to the shadow of the mystery hacker; a red 'no match' flashed across the image as it played back; "...not even close" he shook his head in disappointment.

"That's strike three for the human theory" Miles sighed

"Not necessarily, why don't we try Stevenson? He's the fastest troop on the base" Epps suggested

"Worth a try" Will shrugged, "Will someone tell Stevenson to get up here please?" he called over to the other troops; "yes sir" one of them replied before running out and taking off down the corridor.

"...What're you thinking? ..." the Major asked Morri, as he saw her looking back and forth between the hard-drives with an intense look of concentration on her face.

"I'm thinking it might have been something else: I can't think of a single human who can clear a three meter gap in a fraction of a second" she thought aloud.

"And silently too, Eclipse's audio scanners are sharp: it would take a lot of effort on _anyone's _part to try and sneak past her" Novastar offered as she worked away on one of the nearby terminals. "I'm thinking it either must have been a drone or a pretender: those are the only class of cybertronian's I can think of that have the stealth and speed to pull off what we saw on the security footage"

"And look how big these hard-drives are: even Jazz couldn't squeeze behind them and he's one of the smallest mechs on the base; no offense dude" Miles gazed up at his guardian. "None taken..." the first lieutenant smiled, "But even a human would have a hard time trying to squeeze in between here" he pointed to a narrow gap between the drives.

"Duly noted, but if it was a drone or pretender how come we haven't picked up any new scents?" Buzzsaw frowned as he hopped down off his perch and walked between the machines, looking the gap up and down.

"Yeah, if someone was sneaking about how come we don't know about it?" Rumble concurred

"Perhaps they masked their scent? It wouldn't be the first time such a tactic were deployed" Prowl offered

"True..." the giant yellow and black eagle nodded, "But if it was a drone or pretender why did they run? They could've blown their cover by moving like that"

"...Good point..." Prowl frowned in concentration as he pondered about it

"According to the data on the security net's tracker-programme: the hacker used that terminal over there..." Darren pointed to the terminal in the farthest corner of the room, "They must have waited until Eclipse left and Teletran engaged his nocturnal mode; that corner's the only one in the room that isn't in the security camera's line of sight"

"And it's the only one that doesn't require an access code" Jazz huffed in frustration, "No wonder the dude's ID wasn't picked up sooner"

"It would've been unregistered anyway, if the hacker was looking to-..." Novastar suddenly paused and frowned at her screen, "Huh? This doesn't make sense" she said offhand, piquing everyone's curiosity.

"What's up?" Will asked

"I've just gone over the sub-routines of the tracker data, and from the looks of it our hacker didn't actually access the file" she replied

"Wait-what?" Epps did a double take

"The hacker accessed the level through which the classified files are all stored, but he _didn't_ attempt to get under the firewalls or decrypt the password"

Everyone glanced at one another in confusion.

"So? ...The hacker by-passed the security net _to get_ to the files, only to _not _open them? Dude: what's up with that?" Miles frowned in bemusement

"That's makes no sense: why go to all that trouble just to get a file they couldn't open?" one of the other NEST techs thought aloud.

"Couldn't? ...or _wouldn't?_" Morri thought aloud

"Oh yeah, I get ya," Darren realized as he typed away on his laptop

"Okay what now?"

"Whoever by-passed the security net knew what they were doing, so if they could get past twenty layers of encryption and firewalls, they _had_ the know-how to decrypt that file, or any of the other files for that matter" Darren clarified

"But they didn't; they only got as far as the access coding on the file's first layer of encryption" Glen added

"So why go through all that, only to not get the file? What was the point of all that?" Sam mused aloud

"There was a point otherwise they wouldn't have done it in the first place; but if the file wasn't the hacker's objective and they went to the trouble of sneaking onto the base to access it through Teletran: there must have been _something_ in the process that was of value, that must have been the true intent of their mission" Prowl offered

"Which was?" Miles' shrugged

After a moment of thought, Morri suddenly realized: "...Reaction" she blurted out

"Huh?"

"Why go to all that trouble of hacking into the system, only to walk away with nothing while leaving poorly covered tracks behind?" Ravage smirked

"The files _weren't _the objective, the hacker wanted to see how we would react to the hack itself, to see what we would do. If they're a pro they could've hacked into Teletran from an outside source, it would've been riskier for sure but it's still possible: but instead they choose to sneak onto the base and hack the system at its source. Why do that? Unless-"

"-You intend to stick around and see what goes down" Jazz caught on

Novastar panicked "But wait! If the hacker's objective was to see how we reacted, that mean's-"

"-He's watching us, probably as we speak..." Rumble finished

Everyone nervously looked around the room, wondering (and worrying) where the culprit was hiding, if at all, he was _still_ in the room? Will slowly came up alongside Miles, Sam and Morri, and leaned in closer: keeping his voice as hushed as possible, "I need you three to go tell Optimus and Bishop about this; go to the security hub and tell them to start a sweep of the whole base, and go find Crystalwing, and tell her to try and locate anyone who ain't supposed to be here"

With affirmative nods, the kids wasted no time and hurried out the door.

"You think he's really watching us?" Epps asked worryingly

"If he is, he won't be far away," Ravage purred as he got up and stretched out his forelimbs; jumped off the top of the terminal he'd been sitting on, and paced over to the door, "Start with the ventilation system, and anywhere else that's inconspicuous" he stated as his brothers followed out after him.

* * *

Much later, early evening:

"...Anything?" Miles asked

"Nope, just a load' a dust and fluff" Tom replied as he climbed out of the opening in air duct

"That's all the vents and ducts in this section searched, and _still_ nothing" Sam huffed in frustration.

"And we still got the _next three_ sections to check!" Miles deadpanned

"Then quit whining and keep looking, come on" Mikaela gestured for them to follow her, the lads followed without further complaint. Once they were out of ear-shot, Ravage and Deathshot brought up the rear.

"You do realize if the hacker's still here they're probably moving about to try and stay ahead? And they may not necessarily be hiding in the air ventilation system?" the sniper pointed out

"Of course, but if their running out of places to hide it leaves them with fewer and fewer options, plus with the motion detectors we planted at all the places we already searched, there's no way they can double back without us knowing about it; this base may be big but it's only so big" the panther reasoned.

"That depends on your definition of 'big'" Deathshot smirked

"Touche" Ravage grinned

* * *

Elsewhere, in the rec-room:

Eclipse stared down at her (twelfth) cube of energon; this morning's event's still mulling over in the back of her mind: and still she was no nearer to figuring out what to do. With the base on alert and still searching for the hacker the rec-room was empty, and so had been a good place for quiet contemplation and thinking; the femme lifted her cube to take another swig, when a small noise drew her attention up to the ventilation system running along the ceiling...

Thinking it could be the infiltrator; Eclipse activated her scanners and swept the section of the main shaft the noise from coming from, to her slight annoyance, she saw it was one of the human's, namely Deathshot's female charge ('what was her name again?' she thought offhand). One of the grills in the side of the shaft came undone, and was pulled inside as Morri stuck her head out and looked around the rec-room.

"So this is where you've been all day? I was half beginning to wonder if you'd skived off" she called down

"What?" the femme replied

"Never mind..." Morri sighed as she carefully climbed out onto the top of the shaft, being sure to put the grill back in place; then crawled along to the nearest cable-pipe that was running down the wall into the floor: and as carefully as possible she leapt across to the pipe and slid down it until she hit the floor. "Are you supposed to be taking a break? Prime's got everyone searching the base for that hacker" she asked as she wandered over to the femme and climbed up onto her table.

"Prime suggested I take some time off to 'contemplate' my actions" Eclipse replied in an unreadable tone

"And?" Morri asked

"And what?" Eclipse frowned in slight puzzlement

"And what have you contemplated in particular?" the brunette asked, "I find it incredible that anyone (besides Longrange) could stew in their anger for a whole day: I don't see how you could have the mental energy to keep that up unless you were well and truly petty, which (amazingly) I don't think you are..."

Eclipse studied the human up and down: of all the scenario's she'd expect the humans to engage in, this particular line of thought was not what she'd imagined they'd be capable of (let alone have the brains to be so perceptive).

"Why are you interested?" she asked sceptically.

"Why not? I've been curious about you since last night" Morri replied

Having a good idea where the conversation was heading: Eclipse heaved a heavy sigh and rudely turned her gaze away. "Fine, go ahead and vent: either way, I'm not apologizing for voicing my opinions" she curtly stated

But instead of the inevitable 'you don't speak to me like that' rant, Morri took the femme aback when she replied simply: "Actually, I was half wondering why you were so defensive all the time"

Eclipse looked back at her, she hadn't expected that either...

Seeing she now had her full attention, Morri continued: "Far be it from me to try and presume the intentions of another individual; you strike me as someone who's not comfortable with being out of her comfort zone, and you don't like not being in a position of control either..."

Eclipse stared at her; that uncomfortable feeling was now spiking at the back of her mind and in the pit of her pump. "...Have you been talking to Alpha Trion?" she frowned

"No" Morri frown, wondering what Alpha Trion had to do with this, "Why?"

Seeing she wasn't lying, Eclipse waved it off "Forget it...", and got back to the discussion at hand. "You're perception of my unease is hardly uncanny; did Deathshot sneak in and tell you how I was? I wouldn't be surprised"

"No?" Morri frowned, a little puzzled.

"Red Alert? He does love those cameras you know?" she gestured to the camera on the nearby wall

"No"

"My mother? I'm sure she had more than a few stories to tell"

"No"

"...Then who?"

"No one ..." Morri replied frankly: Eclipse simply stared at her, as if to say: 'that can't be right',

"... What? You think I can't put two and two together?I know you don't much care for us humans but that's not an excuse to think of us as completely dumb: inferiority and stupidity are two different things, and they _don't_ tend to go hand in hand" Morri stated in a disconcerting tone.

Having gotten her drift, Eclipse didn't push it: "My unease is not anyone's concern, not least yours"

"Why?"

"Why do you care? You think I'm a slag-head for the way I've treated you're 'cousin'"

"Call it intuition, but I'm more inclined to think you _behave_ like a slag-head, there's a difference there too"

Silence

"...Why are you doing this? ..." Eclipse frowned

"Why are _you _doing this to yourself? ..." Morri replied, gesturing to her

Eclipse stilled

"...I've had a whole week to observe everyone, not least you (and then some): and you strike me as something of a paradox. From what I've heard you're more than just capable of being a scout or interrogator, your one of the best Autobot warriors around (according to your profile), and one of the smartest. So why, with all the confidence and smarts at your disposal, are you so unwilling to engage everything and everyone around you? Whenever someone tries to offer a hand you bite back and push them away: whenever someone criticizes you, you see it as an attack on your character, and when something doesn't look right your first assumption is to think the worst case scenario, rather than try to work it out logically... You keep your guard up at every turn and react with sarcasm and pessimism; and the _only _reasonable explanation I can think of as to why you're like that, is because at some point in your past someone or something happened and it hurt you deeply: and ever since then you've had this insecurity that prompts you to wear your aggression like a shield, because you find it easier to keep the world at bay, rather than having to confront and deal with it..." Morri offered in a frank and honest tone.

A long strained moment of uneasy silence passed as Eclipse stared down at the girl

She was right

Right about everything, and that scared her to the core.

Deep down she didn't want it to be true, this had to be a trick of some kind; had her counter-telepathy been breached? Did Ravage or Crystalwing sneak into her mind somehow? Her paranoia tried to well up above her reason, but something deep down told her this wasn't so, and little by little the things that had haunted her from the back of her mind were slowly coming to the front of her thoughts.

For what felt like an eternity she fought (proverbial) tooth and claw within her psyche: as everything Morri said tried to force her to confront herself; she wanted to lash out, to tell her she was wrong and that she had no right prying into her affairs...but for the first time in her life, she knew she was wrong, and that's when it hit her like a punch in the spark chamber...

_Ashley was willing to listen to you, did you listen to him?_

Those words went through her like a ghost, haunting her with a bitter cold realization, forcing her to heed this moment. For the first time in what must have been a lifetime everything was different, she was unsure, maybe even scared on a number of levels, but as she tried to bring herself back to the here and now: Eclipse was left with a sense of guilt, and loneliness...

"...Um? Are you okay? ..." Morri asked. The thousand mile stare in the femme's optics had her a little worried at first, but when Eclipse seemed to snap back to reality she looked like she'd just woken up form a long stasis-lock and had no idea where she was. But as she regained her composure, something about the femme seemed to change, and it showed almost instantly.

"...Uh? ...I'm fine..." she replied softly as she got up and left "I-, need to go..."

Morri simply stood there scratching her head, somewhat dumbfounded, "...What the hell did I say?"

Unbeknown to the human and femme: up in the farthest corner of the room, Ratbat waited until the Eclipse left before he dropped off the ceiling and flew into the nearby air duct; hardly making a sound as he disappeared.

* * *

**Have we finally turned a corner Eclipse? Who knows? let's wait and see...**

**A?N: There was more I wanted to add to this chapter but it would've made it much too long, and it wouldn't have done any favors for the pace of the story overall; I hope to do a maximum of only two (maybe three?) more chapters plus an epilogue. I don't really want to drag this story on any longer than it has to; many of the issues the bots & humans have raised in this story won't be resolved *snaps fingers* like that; that's for the rest of the story arc to depict & explore; in this story, it's about ironing out the tough creases so there's a sable-enough ground for everyone to get along on. The question is now, how to round it off nicely.**

**Oh, and there will be a little bit of action in the next chapter ;)**

**Let me know what you think! Much love sweet-things! :)**


	11. Chpt 10: Listen

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 10: Listen

"Well? ..." Sam asked as he peered down into the maintenance shaft

"We might have something" Ravage replied as he sniffed the cables and pipes

"Something being what?" Colonel Bishop asked

"There is a scent down here, but it's a couple of day's old" the panther replied

"The hacker's been hiding down _there?_" Sam looked around the narrow opening, "Wow, he had to have been smaller than Frenzy to fit down in that hole!"

"Undoubtedly: and from what I can tell our mystery hacker is defiantly a drone of some kind; though who I can't say, it's no drone I've smelt before ..." Ravage said offhand as he leapt out of the shaft and moved aside to allow two NEST troops to put the protective manhole-like cover back over the opening.

"That's the third place we've tracked his scent to; if there'd been any maintenance work scheduled we could've caught him out sooner" Tom reasoned

"Not likely: from what the scent has told me he's been moving around regularly, not recharging in the same place twice, and probably living off his own energon reserves. He wouldn't risk coming out even at night" the panther reasoned

"Well that's a no-brainer, there's a security camera on every corner and in every room; he probably couldn't get more than ten meters before being spotted" Sam pointed out

"Either way, we now have a good idea where he might be" Bishop frowned, "If we start a sweep of the next five sections and move towards the central shaft, we could push him up to the next level above"

"But won't that force him out into the open-air hanger? That's the only other place the central-ground maintenance shafts converge" Will pointed out

"Which is why we're going to use this opportunity to put a trap in place: order your men up above ground and tell them to cover all the ventilation and maintenance shafts, if we can herd him in the right direction we'll catch him like a fish in a net" the Colonel smiled. "Yes sir" the Major nodded in agreement, then reached for his radio to contact his troops.

"I better order the rest of the search party to move as well, we don't know what drone this is or what weapons they might be armed with; better safe than sorry" Prowl added as he commed the rest of the team.

"What about everyone else down on the second level?" Sam asked

"Tell them to stand by; for all we know the hacker could panic and break cover, in which case he could injure someone or even take a hostage" Bishop replied

"Unlikely; if he's got the data he came for he won't go looking for a fight, he'll try to get out by any means he can" Ravage reasoned

"So it's just a case of flushing out the rabbit eh?" John thought aloud, "Then let's put our ferrets down the hole and see which way he bolts out"

* * *

Elsewhere:

"*sigh* I feel like an idiot..." Morri sighed ruefully, "At first I wondered if I'd said something that hit a nerve, but from the way she got up and left I think it must've been something on a pretty personal level"

"No no no don't blame yourself sweet-spark-" Moonshine was quick to reassure her, "She needed to hear it, and in the long run you did her a favor; she's been stuck in her own hole for so long even _I_ can't recall the last time she admitted to her own faults"

"...Her pride is too disproportionate for someone as smart as her: _if_ she's as smart as her profile says" Morri thought offhand as she shuffled about her perch atop Moonshine's work-table.

"At least you actually took the time to _read_ her profile; there aren't many bots I can think of that have bothered to try and understand Eclipse without going by their first impressions of her" Moonshine offered as she went about cleaning up her studio, picking up and tidying away stuff as she dusted the surfaces with her tail. "Still, you came to the right femme for help"

"...I'm not one to brag, really I'm not; but, I've always seemed to 'ave had this knack for looking at people and getting an 'impression' that their thinking more than what their showing on their faces" Morri thought aloud, "My friends back home say I'd make a pretty good psychiatrist, and sometimes I wonder if going to art school really was my vocation? After everything that's happened these past few months I'm beginning to think perhaps this is where I _am_ meant to be? But after this last week, I don't know if I'm 'out of synch' or if it's none of my business?"

"How'd you mean?" Moonshine raised a curious optic ridge

"This whole austerity; Longrange, Coldbore, Shadowstar, Eclipse: everything we've had to endure with them this past week is because they can't let go of the past. Hell when the war for the Allspark first kicked off _we_ were still monkeys swinging around in the trees, we hadn't even evolved into Homo sapiens yet. I get that the war's been brutal, what war isn't? But you can only forgive so much before you have to put your foot down and say, 'I'm sorry but no, quit your sulking and get over it'"

"...I'm surprised" Moonshine replied offhand

"Surprised?"

"Well everyone pretty much said the same about three or so days after we came out of quarantine; you're the first person who's really been patient with this whole 'transitional phase'"

For a moment Morri weirded out a little:"...Really? ..." she asked offhand.

"Really; and please, don't think you said the wrong thing to Eclipse, she was bound to be confronted with the truth sooner or later. I'm just glad she nerve to hold her vocalizer and _actually _listen to you (which I'm still finding a little hard to believe)..."

"_What is it_ with her anyway? Forgive my prying, but from what I've seen you two can't help but fight like cats and dogs and she belittles Novastar for the littlest insignificant things; I just don't get her..." Morri sighed in exasperation.

Moonshine couldn't help but sigh too, and putting a pile of data-pads down to one side, she pulled up a chair next to the work-table and addressed the girl with a frank but pained expression: "...The thing with Eclipse: is that she's more like mother than she'd care to believe. On the one hand she's always tried to do right by everyone, even at the expense of the rules and our ethics as Autobots; but at the same time she's always been afraid that her over-cautiousness and prejudice will somehow make others think she's loosing it, until one day something happens and she's branded 'unfit to serve by reason of mental defect'"

Realizing how similar that sounded to Majestrix's own predicament, Morri couldn't help but sigh: "...That's sad; and ironic too"

"And it's the incredibility of it that slag's me off: for years I've tried to show her the parallel of her and mother's fears, that they're both as fretful and worrying as each other; but she refuses to acknowledge it, and just keeps blowing it off"

"...Why does Eclipse hate her mother so much?"

Moonshine hesitated a little, before passing another heavy sigh and explaining: "...Centuries back, when we were still sparklings: mother had to attend a secret meeting with uncle Optimus and on this one occasion we had to come with her. The ship she always transported us in had an emergency 'panic' vault, so if in the event the cons found us and boarded the ship, we'd be safely locked up inside...Anyway, on this one mission, we were heading back to the Black Solstus when we were ambushed by a Decepticon seeker raiding party; mother locked us in the vault while she stood guard and fought off the seekers, I was too young to remember what happened specifically but I _do_ remember at some point the vault door was opened and Eclipse somehow got out: by that point mother had managed to move the fight into outer space, but one seeker was still on board trying to get at us. Eclipse tried to fight him, so he went after her instead..." she paused as she stared off into space, the memory of that day glistening in her optics with fear and dread: "...I can still remember her screams...followed by the seeker's scream, as mother ripped his spark chamber out...Eclipse was lucky, had mother not been there in time, she would've-..."

She snapped herself out of her funk, "...Well, she survived that's the important thing; but Eclipse has never forgiven her for what happened that day: she constantly reminds mother that she broke her promise not to leave us, and blames her for nearly letting her die... But considering the circumstances I don't see what there is to forgive? You can't foresee how a fight's going to swing either way, and when it's twenty to one you're not exactly the favorable bet, even_ if_ you're a far more formidable combatant. It was out of mother's hands, and for the spark of me I _can't _understand why she can't see that" she propped her head on her elbow.

"...That doesn't make sense" Morri thought aloud with a perplexed frown

"I know! Even Novastar knows it and she was still practically a hatchling at the time. Ever since that day Eclipse became way more broody, and bitter. Oh she listened to mother when she put us through training, but that was as far as their relationship went; anything outside of her duty as an Autobot, she wanted nothing to do with mother. The only reason she didn't transfer out of the division was because she only wanted to serve with and command the best, and considering her pride wouldn't allow her to be so much as seen with so called 'ground-huggers' she didn't have many options outside of the 9"

"...Call it a hunch but something tells me there's more to it than that" Morri replied frankly

"I've often thought that too; there are times when, on occasion I'd catch a brief glimpse of-..._something_, I don't know what, but something in her optics, I can only describe as...'vexing'...I think sometimes she gets tired of her own ego, but she cares more about keeping up appearances than tending to what's important" Moonshine thought aloud.

"... What's she like with other bots?"

"Offhand? If you've got a sense of humor I grantee you won't be getting any laughs out of her (unsurprisingly). In terms of being a scout: strong, confident, _always_ three steps ahead and always ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done; other than that, the number of friends she has I could count on one tail...Making friends was never easy for her; she's not one for tactfulness, always calls it as she sees it, and there is such a thing as being much too honest"

"It still kinda sad, who is her friend?"

"Blackshot; despite her austere attitude she was always there to make sure Eclipse had someone to talk to, and to make sure both she and mother stayed on good talking terms"

"Blackshot? Lending a sympathetic ear?"

"I know I know-" Moonshine couldn't help but pass a light chuckle, "But her sister Swiftshot used to be our 'nanny', and she_ was_ our tutor when we underwent 'Autobot academy training' so she's been in our lives a good few eons ...But I have to confess, even though she's a great tactician and warrior she could be too hard at times. What Eclipse sees in her I don't know, but those two were always able to get along, and not just professionally; in a way it was sort of a relief, knowing at least _someone_ outside the family was willing to put up with her: but at the same time it hurt"

"Hurt?"

"That she couldn't come to me to talk or confide in; I mean-, I know we never see optic to optic on many things, but I always made it clear to her that we're sisters, and that I love her no matter what... But as the years passed and we grew older, I began to think-...Maybe? ..."

"...What? ..."

"...She's my sister, but I'm not _her _sister: and neither is Nova" the dragon femme sulked

"...Unhappy families are unhappy in their own way..."

"Hm?"

"Oh it's-, just something my uncle said..." Morri thought aloud as something else came to mind: "...It doesn't make sense, or seem fair in a way: that problems with obvious answer's aren't as straightforward as we like to believe...When we were in that other universe, and we teamed up with Section 9 to get to the bottom of that whole thing with the Spark Eater; all the way through I couldn't help but be both scared and angry. Scared because we didn't know what was coming, what we'd have to face eventually, and angry because someone somewhere was the cause of that whole mess: regardless of whether they had any inclination of what the consequences would be, _that choice_ wasn't theirs to make...One thing I learnt a long time ago is that the most dangerous thing you could ever do is to try to presume the actions of another human being (ironic I know): a pro psychiatrist or even a telepath could make a well educated guess, but at the end of the day it's _still_ just a guess, and there's always going to be a level of unpredictability that's inherent in our nature...I'm inclined to think cybertronian's aren't that dissimilar"

"Thinking about it, Moonshine couldn't help but nod in agreement: "...You could be right..." she sat up straight, "...For all my guessing and arguing with her, I don't know why Eclipse is the way she is, I could spend the rest of my life trying to dissect her mentality and probably find nothing. And at the end of the cycle, I'm still left to wonder where it went wrong for her"

"At least you love her"

"Of course, even now I still feel guilty for thinking she'd hacked Ashley's file...But at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if she had"

"Seriously?" Morri raised an eyebrow

"...Let's just say it wouldn't be the first time..." the dragon femme sighed

* * *

Elsewhere:

As Eclipse lay flat on her birth staring up at the bare ceiling, her mind was somewhat numb, and she didn't know what to do about it; every problem has a solution, that's what she'd always been told: but this time, she couldn't see _any_ solution to this...

Turning her head, she looked across at the door to her trophy room, and for the first time she didn't want to go in there. Which was strange, seeing all her trophies always cheered her up when she was feeling down; but instead, a sense of hollowness echoed out from where her pride usually was.

She got up, and stepped across to the giant mirror on the wall: it had been there since she first moved into her quarters, and in all the time she'd lived here aboard the Black Solstus she only ever looked into it once; the day she upgraded to her final frame, and became a fully fledged femme. She remembered the pride she felt looking upon her new form, how sleek and powerful she was, and so deadly her aura could cut the air like silicone gel.

But now, as she gazed into the cracked and worn glass, for the first time she saw how the eons had beaten down on her; she could see all the teeny tiny dents, dings, scratches and micro-cracks, even the purple of her armor wasn't as vibrant as she remembered it to be. A horrible cold sense of dread filled her up when she realized just how much she looked like her mother; old, beaten and worn, the years of war had etched their long tragic saga into the very plates of her face, and for a brief fleeting moment she couldn't help but wonder if she was staring at her own future?

Turning away in abhorrence: Eclipse's mind went back to what the human girl said earlier...

_The only reasonable explanation I can think of as to why you're like that, is because at some point in your past someone or something happened and it hurt you on a deep level_

"...Fear does not dwell in one's spark without a reason..."

Looking back into the mirror, Eclipse knew she was right (though she'd never admit it out loud); but the question that stood before her now was: what to do about it?

"...I'm not my mother..." she told herself in a shaky voice, "I'm not Megatron's-"

And then it suddenly hit her

She knew what her fear was, and she knew what she had to do to confront it.

She walked out of her quarters at a fast pace, making a bee-line for the ship's main rear ramp; as soon as she strode into the open space between the Black Solstus and Omega Supreme, she transformed into her altmode and took off up into the night sky...

* * *

At the same time: in the base's radar tower:

**: Radar tower to base central, come in over-:**

**: This is base central, we read you over: **Optimus replied

**: Base central, do we have any airborne training scheduled for tonight? Over: **

**: Not tonight, why? Over :**

**: Base central we just picked up one of your flyers: designation Eclipse taking off from the open air hanger, she didn't check in her flight plan over: **

**: Leave it to me, I'll check in as soon as possible, over: **

**: Much obliged boss bot, over and out: **

Optimus gazed concernedly at Majestrix, "Where is she going?" he asked

Majestrix didn't reply as she stepped over to Prime's desk, and typing in a command to the computer, brought up the base's radar image; there: moving across the screen at quite a speed, Eclipse was heading north-east...

"...I'll find out soon enough-" Majestrix replied as she headed out of the office and made her way towards the open-air hanger.

"WAIT!-" a tiny electronic voice squeaked: she turned her head round as Ratbat landed on the side of her shoulder plate.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be looking for the hacker" she frowned as she plucked the tiny bat off her armor and let him settle on the tip of her claw.

"I know, but-, there's something you have to know"

"Which is?" she raised a skeptical optic ridge

"It's complicated: but it's about your creation Eclipse"

Intrigued if not a tad concerned, Majestrix brought him closer to her face, "Concerning what exactly?" she asked in low voice.

* * *

At the same time elsewhere:

As he strode out of the hanger, Skywarp looked around until he saw who he was looking for...

"Hey..." he softly called over to Novastar, who was sitting by herself on a huge boulder just past the far end hanger of the air strip.

"Oh, Hi..." she replied in a somewhat sombre tone

"What're you doing out here? Everyone's inside looking for that hacker" he said as he sat down next to her.

"Red Alert's got it covered: I needed to get some air in my vents" she offered as she looked up at the sunset; somehow, something about that didn't quite ring true for the seeker: and as he noticed at the distant look in her optics, he had a sneaking suspicion as to what was really on her mind.

"...Is, that all? ..." he asked cautiously

Gazing at him, and knowing she couldn't lie, Novastar let out a depressing sigh and let her shoulders go slack: "...I just-, didn't want to be around while Eclipse was blowing off steam; that whole thing with the classified file's got her really riled, and she's not nice when she's like that"

"Actually, I haven't seen her all day..." Skywarp thought aloud, "But yeah, she was pretty ticked off after last night...come to think of it, I haven't seen you around either, have you been out here _all_ day?"

Novastar didn't reply, and simply hung her head with a mournful puppy-dog like sulk.

"Oh..." Skywarp realized.

"I know you said she has no right to bully me, but honestly? After last night I didn't know if I wanted to help her or not?"

"What? You mean help prove she didn't hack that file?" the seeker asked, Novastar merely nodded. A little taken aback and confused, Skywarp asked: "...But why? I mean, she's your sister-"

"-Am I? ..." the femme cut him off as her optics welled up with tears and she gaze out over the horizon; "...For so long-, for as long as I could remember: I always dreamed of a moment when-, she'd realize she had everything backwards, and that everything she thought she knew was wrong, isn't..."

Unsure what to say, Skywarp didn't reply and simply nodded in agreement.

"...I mean, I wouldn't mind: if at least she just acknowledges that she's wrong about mother... I don't get-, I _never_ understood: how she could be so smart and think her way out of a battle, and yet, when it comes to me, mother and Moonshine, she can't see what's right in front of her optics? ...Half the time I wonder if she really _is_ that ignorant. And that's she's known all along but she denies it just to spite us?" Novastar thought aloud

"Uh? ..." the seeker tried to think of something smart to offer, "...Well? I don't have a sister so I really don't know; but 'Cracker's always been like a brother to me so I guess that counts?" he shrugged with a slight wince.

"You're lucky; at least Thundercracker doesn't demean you for the sake of expelling his anger" she sighed

"Not for his anger, he used to save that for the bots; but he did use to chain me up by my ankles for kicks though" Skywarp offered

"Huh?" the femme blinked in confusion

"Oh yeah, we used to pull some pretty hardcore pranking back in the day; he'd get me I'd get him, and we usually ended up fighting over who got who and then Starscream had to step in and knock our helms together until we were offline, and then we-" but Skywarp cut short when he realized he was getting off track, "...Okay, point being; yeah, we used to kick the slag outta each other and got pretty slagged off at each other for it. But he was my wing-mate you know? Despite all the slag we put each other through, at the end of the cycle we still respected one other enough to cover each others tail-fins in battle. Regardless of everything else, we never lost sight of that"

Novastar dropped her gaze as she considered his words: "...That's good of you...but even if I were to tell Eclipse to start acting like my sister, she wouldn't hold any respect for me"

"No offense, but how do you know that for certain?" the seeker raised an optic ridge

"I've known Eclipse since I could remember, she never liked the idea of having to share everything with her sisters, not least me"

"Well she's just gonna have to buck up and get over it, your her sister and that's that"

"She never get's over anything: when she holds a grudge she holds it like a death sentence..." Novastar sulked, "Besides, I can't think of _anything _that would make her change her mind; mother's been trying to stay on good terms with her since we were sparklings, Moonshine's been trying to look out her as well as protect me from her temper, and all the while Eclipse blames everyone else for her insecurities"

"Insecurities?"

"She doesn't know I know: but ever since she was young she's had this 'fear' of slowing going insane; she thinks when people talk behind her back they gossip on how uptight and paranoid she is. She _hate's_ being thought of as paranoid, and every time she thinks we doubt or criticize her she snaps back at us, and everyone else...That's why she's been so unfair and stringent this past week"

"...She's afraid she'll-..." Skywarp thought aloud as the memory of Megatron's own descent into madness came to mind: _'...Guess it runs in the family..._' he thought offhand with a sense of sympathy. "That's-, kinda ironic, considering your uncle-"

"-Optimus?" Novastar looked at him with a weird look

"Uh? ...No, I meant the_ 'other'_ uncle..."

"...Oh..." she realized who he was referring to

"...I was just gonna say: its kinda ironic, considering your uncle embraced his madness, the opposite is very true for your sister and your mother; a weird parallel don't you think?"

"I suppose yes: but it's always been mother who feared becoming like our uncle, me and Moonshine always knew who we were so we've never really been afraid; but Eclipse? I can't be totally certain, but I think she fears becoming like mother; living stuck in her fears and unable to escape the fact that she's Megatron's niece...It's a fact that's haunted me and Moonshine at one point or another: and with mother's identity known to everyone, it kinda put's into perspective the depth of how far Megatron's legacy runs"

"...That's defiantly true" Skywarp nodded quietly

Suddenly, the thundering sound of jet engines echoed from out of the canyon as a dark purple jet shot up into the sky at full speed. "Was that, Eclipse?" Skywarp frowned, trying to train his scanners onto the now out-of-range jet.

"...It is" Novastar blinked in surprise as she recognized her sister's altmode, "Where's she going?"

"Should we go after her?"

"I don't know? I'll ask mother what-"

At that moment, another jet engine could be heard firing up, as Majestrix's altmode hovered up out of the canyon, and took off after Eclipse, following her at a distance.

"Now what's _she_ up to?" Skywarp scratched his helm

"I don't know..." Novastar thought aloud, perplexed as to what her sister and mother were up to, and where they were going.

* * *

Down in the med-bay:

"Well Annabelle certainly has a good aim, at least the circuits aren't too badly fried" Ratchet said offhand as he repaired part of the damaged circuitry.

"How much longer? It's been three hours already" Blackshot huffed in frustration

"Mikaela's just finishing off your armor, and I'm done here; so all we have to do is weld it back in place and your good to go" the Chief medic replied; at that moment Mikaela came out from one of the other med-labs pushing a huge flat-bed cart with Blackshot's aft and thigh plates lying on top. "How'd it turn out?" Ratchet asked as he lifted the plates up onto the table.

"Not bad, the edges were mostly scorched and the interior side wasn't as dented as it looked: a clean blast right on top" she replied as she climbed up the side of the birth and grabbed the human-sized welding torch that was lying to one side. Blackshot glanced over her shoulder, looking the human up and down, and was a little dismayed when she climbed right up onto her lower back.

"What're you doing?" she demanded

"Getting into a comfortable position so I can weld your aft back on" Mikaela stated

"You let it operate the tools?" the femme glowered

"'It' is a 'she', and yes she does operate the tools, she's my apprentice medic" Ratchet stated matter-of-factly, Blackshot blinked in surprise. "'Apprentice medic?'" she echoed in disbelief, not quite believing it.

"Would you prefer your aft back on or would you prefer I left it off?" Mikaela stated with a hint of sarcasm. Not wanting to dignify that with an answer, Blackshot didn't reply.

"Just chill, I'm not going to shoot anything off" the girl huffed as she got to work welding the plate back on while Ratchet held it in place. Bored of the silence, Blackshot's curiosity got the better of her: "...So? When did humans qualify to be cybertronian medics?"

"Since I helped put Bumblebee's legs back together and helped to online Jazz with the last Allspark shard" Mikaela replied

Despite her incredulousness, that actually surprised Blackshot: "..._You_, helped online him?"

"Yeah, is that so unbelievable?"

"Considering the power contained within even a fraction of the cube is enough to level a whole human city, I'd have thought such an undertaking would be left to more _capable _bots" the femme stated facetiously

"She_ is_ capable, that's why I asked her _personally_ if she would assist me" Ratchet stated, slightly annoyed at the femme's tone.

"And what valuable skills does a human possess that a Cybertronian does not?"

"For one thing their delicate hands: a human's sense of touch is much more acute than our own, they can sense vibrations that are too small for our fingers to detect, and their hands and fingers can detect the tiniest indentations in even the smoothest surfaces. A handy feature when trying to detect micro-cracks and the like; among many other _fine attributes_" the medic stated confidently

'_Fine attributes my aft!'_ she thought disdainfully as she grumbled something under her breath.

"I have a question..." Mikaela asked, the femme met her eye as she gazed up at her, "Why'd you hate us humans so much? Cuz if it's about the Allspark, we already heard that one and frankly, we don't give a shit for that argument; what's done is done"

"You pretty much summed it up" Blackshot frowned, "Because of one human we can't restore our home-world, your 'friend's' actions was our death-sentence"

"And believe me, there's not a week goes by Sam still regrets that, but considering Megatron was on the verge of making mince meat out of him, I'd say he made a good call" the girl replied

"That's what you call it? A 'good call'?"

"Hey you weren't there so don't go making judgements without actually _seeing _what happened for yourself alright?" Mikaela shot back, "There's a hell of a lot I could say for your species too considering it was _your cube_ that fell to our planet in the first place; but I don't go airing my objections"

"Then why don't you? You have more to lose anyway"

"Because as much as I'd like to rant it'd be pointless: holding onto a grudge doesn't do you any favors, no matter how much gratification you might get; in the end you only really screw yourself...Kinda like what you're doing"

Blackshot frowned: "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is..." Mikaela explained as she continued to work, "This whole thing you got against working with us humans, working with Prime's bots: openly voicing your negativity the way you do; your digging yourself into a hole, and the deeper you dig the less likely you are to get out of it. If you don't like it, go to another planet, cuz I don't think your protests are going to persuade the bots to leave earth anytime soon"

"They'd say otherwise if your government decides to drop a nuke on our heads" Blackshot stated

"And why would we want to do that?" Mikaela sarcastically shot back

"I don't know? You tell me; it seems you humans will find any excuse the blow anything up"

"Only the unhinged ones; and considering no nukes have been used in any conflicts since the Second World War, I'd say the majority of us have our heads screwed on right"

"The _majority_..." Blackshot frowned, "There's no accounting for the minority though; what guarantee is there to say they won't try anything?"

"None" Mikaela stated

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Of course it bothers me: but there's nothing either of us can do about it is there? Look, the world may not all be peaches and cream but it's the only one we got: living with the negative aspects of human civilization is an occupational hazard, Bad shit happens, it's a fact of humanity, but it doesn't mean you should have to drop everything and live in fear on that account" she sighed

"But if it means you survive, why not?" Blackshot asked

"Because we humans don't _just_ want to survive, we want to _live_ life; and for the majority of us that means taking the risks: for some it's easier than others, but regardless our lives are our lives, how we live them is ultimately our choice. Evil may be a trait of humanity, but at the end of the day it's _still_ a choice..." Mikaela explained.

Blackshot turned to face forward, her incredulousness replaced by a passive look of deep thought; she let the human and Autobot's chief medic continue their work in peace as she stared up at the wall, and contemplated on the human's words...

* * *

A few hours later: The east coast of Canada:

**: Conn, Sonar. Gained new contact, bearing 346, and possible hostile, confirmed for Project Deep Six Drop Point: **

**: What'd you got? : **

**: SU pulled one contact at 5,000 feet, diving fast. Never seen anything dive that deep that fast sir: **

**: Man battle stations: **

**: Chief of the watch, man battle stations! :**

**: -Belay that order: **Prime's voice stated over radio,** : This is NEST Project, code 207 for Deep Six Drop Point, the contact is a non-hostile, repeat, non-hostile; stand down from battle stations and resume your course : **

**: Copy that; care to tell us what's going on? :**

**: ...Someone wants to pay their final respects...: **was all Prime said

**:...:**

As the submarine slowly pulled away and leveled out: Eclipse shot past its port-bow, missing it only by twenty meters or so...

Down she went, deeper and deeper into the freezing pitch black, plunging into the deepest level of the Laurentian abyss, her scanners and make-shift sonar were her only means of long-range navigation as her optics tried to peer through the gloom. At this depth the water pressure was immense, how anything could live down here was incredible: but as she observed the various species of jellyfish, cephalopods and fish, she had to admit organic life could be tough when it needed to be. As she approached the bottom of the abyss, her scanners soon picked up what she'd come for, and spinning round head over heels, she came into land feet first upon the silt and rocky seabed; and stood there for a moment, scanning the area, making sure nothing and no one would disturb her...

Through the blackness some thirty or so meters away, she could make out a large cluster of sharp sleek metal: it looked totally out of place among the rocks and various species of sponges and other strange looking invertebrates. As she slowly walked across the flat silt, she switched on a set of lights in her shoulders and saw the metal cluster was the body of a _huge_ cybertronian, minus one arm and one leg, which were sitting motionlessly nearby. As she came up alongside it, the octopi and various other creatures that were inhabiting the enormous hulk swam away fast, not wanting to know if the strange creature in their midst was a hungry predator.

As Eclipse came around to the head, she gazed down at the lifeless cybertronian, and for the first time in her life, a cold shiver of sickening fear ran down her spinal unit as she took in the sight of her dead uncle...

Megatron

True to her mother's warning and all the war stories of all the veteran bots she'd ever known down the years, he was every bit as terrifying and then some; even in death he was still the very picture of terror with his mouth plates pulled back in a rictus gnarl, exposing his numerous shark-like teeth, his sharp robust armor still looked like it could cut anything, and his optics looked like they could burn right through one's spark.

For a long time she did nothing but stand there; her mind racing with a thousand thoughts all at once: all the fear, all the dread, all the pain and anger of what this one mech had done over the eons came bubbling to the surface, and the more it rippled through her the more she kept clenching her fists tightly. Until finally, she couldn't hold it back.

Leaning down with a look of absolute hatred burning in her optics, Eclipse stood over him, and in a soft yet venomous tone, said: "...All these years...all this time, I honestly thought the end would never come for you: the way you cheated death so many times, at one point I actually believed you could _never _die..."

Silence

"...I can't remember anymore, just how many nights I spent lying awake, thinking of all the ways to hunt you down, to make you suffer in every way conceivable, and then _end you_: as painfully and indecently the same way you hurt all of us...But then I realized: you probably would've been proud, and taken enjoyment at seeing me descend into madness (even if it was for the sake of revenge); knowing I was no different than you. I can't _even tell you_ how much _hatred _that filled me with, that no matter what I would've done, no matter how far I would've taken it, I would never have _won _would I?... "

Silence

"_It had to end with Optimus didn't it?!_" she shouted bitterly, "-You and him! It was _always_ going to be you and him! WHY? After everything you put me through from the shadows of my nightmares, after every waking moment of being haunted by the very thought of you; WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE?!" she screamed as she grabbed him by the spark chamber and started to rip him apart: "IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME WHO KILLED YOU! I SHOULD'VE BEEN THE ONE TO RIP OUT YOUR SPARK!"

Screaming and ranting in a blind violent rage, she ripped and pulled apart every section of his body with her bare hands, everything from his helm to his limbs and even his spark chamber were not spared as all the years of everything that had been pent up finally broke loose. Everything she had saved for the day she would face him, all came in a flood of anger that poured out with every thunderous punch, every ripped armor plate and every gouge and swipe to the circuits and wiring. Before long red warning signs started flashing through Eclipse's field of view, warning her that she risked serious damage to her own systems if she carried on like this. And as fatigue and exhaustion finally forced her to stop, she fell to her knees: sobbing uncontrollably as she pitched over and cried into her cupped hands; her energon tears diluting into the briny water all around, and drifting off on the current like cigarette smoke...

Time passed, and the clouds of silt that had been thrown up by her violent outburst had drifted off and partially settled: and as she numbly looked around she couldn't even bring herself to be astounded at the mess she'd made. There was hardly anything of Megatron that was recognizable; a finger or two, part of a knee joint, half of his helm and face, and a third of his spark chamber were still largely intact, but everything else was nothing but scrap metal, broken circuits, ripped wires, and broken shards of metal platelets littered around her. Sighing in exhaustion, Eclipse let the freezing water cool her circuits as she slowly got back up on her feet.

"...Why couldn't I be there? ..." she sulked soberly, "Why did it have to end like that? ...Why was I deigned my chance for revenge? Why did it have to be a human that killed you? Of all the ways for it to end, why did it have to be so..._insignificant?_ ..."

**: That's what you thought? :**

Eclipse nearly jumped when her mother's voice caught her off guard; picking up her signal on her scanner, Eclipse turned round to see her mother land on the sea bed some meters away: though she talked through the comm, Majestrix still mouthed the words. **: You thought it would all be one big glorious battle? A battle to end all battles; wreathed in fire and spilt energon, countless dead littering the ground while high overhead the sky burned with fire smoke and the deafening thunder of gunfire as you bring the pit down upon him? :** Majestrix pressed, taking Eclipse completely by surprise, not quite believing she'd just summed up her ideal revenge fantasy to a tee.

**: Believe me I share the sentiment: I too was most disheartened when I learned my chance for payback had been stolen away. But seriously: you would've been willing to let this world die in agony, all so you could get revenge? ...I'll admit there was time I too might have done the same, but considering how deep our hatred runs, do you think it's any wonder Prime was the one fate chose to fight the final battle? : **Majestrix reasoned.

Eclipse didn't know what to say, as her optics glazed over and she looked away in disbelief: her mother approached closer.

**: ...As much I would've liked it to be otherwise, fate did us both a favor by letting the Witwicky boy be the one to end it. History would not have looked upon our actions kindly if we had destroyed him the way he destroyed so many innocents before. An optic for an optic, and everyone goes blind; one act of revenge could've echoed down the years and come back to haunt us in many bad ways: at least with a human being the one to deliver the final blow, our hands are spared the energon that would've stained them (even if was **_**his**_** energon):** She gestured to the remains of the former Decepticon leader**.**

_**: How can you say that? :**_ Eclipse sobbed angrily,

**: Because it's the truth child...:** Majestrix gazed down at her daughter with pain in her optics**: Even if we had been there the choice wasn't ours to make; **_**please,**_** is one reckless act of vengeance worth the life of a whole world? :**

**: ...But it was **_**our **_**world he took from us! ...: **Eclipse sobbed as a fresh wave of tears diluted into the water around her face.

**: I know my darling...: **Majestrix cooed as she gently wrapped her arms around her daughter, and pulled her in for a hug; for a long moment Eclipse let the tears pass as she sobbed into her mother's shoulder, before meeting her gaze again. Majestrix gently stroked the side of her face,:** Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing: **she said offhand

**: So Optimus always says:** Eclipse sighed

**: But it is true, and now it calls both of us to stand tall, and to do something we've never had a chance to do until now:** her mother replied

**: What? :**

**: Step forward into the future, and live our lives as we choose. Yes we've lost the chance to restore our world, but we have the opportunity to take a chance on a new world; and maybe, **_**just maybe**_**, find a way to restore the honor of our people:**

Eclipse hesitated, and looked away in doubt, **:... How can you ask me to-:**

**: -I'm not asking as an Autobot-: **Majestrix cut her off, **: ...I'm asking you as my daughter...: **Eclipse looked back up at her, unsure and confused.

**: You are always willing to do your duty, even if it means going to extremes; and yet at the same time you know people will always have their doubts about you because you push yourself so hard...:** Majestrix said as she gently stroked her cheek. **: ...It's not because you may fall behind or let your paranoia get the better of you; but because you worry if people will somehow discover where you come from, your **_**true**_** lineage; the one I've tried to leave behind for so long, and the one you tried running away from all your life... In all the years you've known me: did you ever stop to consider how _I_ felt? Knowing that my brother, who I once loved so dearly, destroyed the very empire I helped to protect? : **

Silence

**: ...For so long I tried to shield you from it, no parent should laden their children with the burdens of the past: but no matter how well I tried to keep your innocence intact, reality still caught up to us anyway. If there's one thing I **_**truly **_**regret, it's not being able to have the courage to tell you about the reality of what your uncle was sooner: **Majestrix continued

**: ...It doesn't matter...:** Eclipse replied in a tired voice **: We never had a chance: all those eons we spent in hiding, locked away in vaulted chambers, only coming out at night when no one was around, cruising through the most remote regions of the galaxy. The war was still there: all that distance you put between us and the fighting and **_**still **_**the war scarred us...It didn't matter that you didn't tell us until we were finally grown up, we knew all along, **_**I knew all along**_**; and the one thing I could never understand, was why you couldn't admit that it was real, that we-...we are a part of **_**him**_**...: **

For a long moment Majestrix gazed into her daughter's optics; though Eclipse's face was unreadable, the pain that was glistening in her optics twisted Majestrix's spark. No mother can ever stand to see her child in pain like this, a hurt so deep that no softness or tenderness could sooth it away. Summoning up her courage, Majestrix gently held her face in bother hands, and looked her square in the optics.

**: Yes, we **_**are **_**a part of him, **_**but that does mean we have to give into what he was. **_**No matter the shame, our families do not define who we are. **_**Megatron does not define who I choose to be**_**: and he does **_**not**_** define who **_**you**_** are too. You can either choose to wallow in pity and let that fact haunt you for the rest of your life, or you can choose to hold your head high and live your life **_**for you**_**...:**

Eclipse stilled with dread welling up in her spark,** :..But-, but, how can I? : **

**: By reconciling with the past, and taking a chance on the future. Try following the human's example and take the risk, regardless of whatever happens; besides, you maybe Megatron's niece, but your also **_**Optimus Prime's niece **_**too****, his courage and strength of spirit is within you, just as it is within me. Fate may rarely call upon us at a moment of our choosing, but we **_**can **__**choose **__**how we want to shape our destines**_**, that is a fact no amount of bad luck or bad 'blood' can ever change...: **

**: But-, what about the Decepticons? What if they find out? :**

**: You'd let **_**them**_** stop you? Since when have you ever let a con get the better of you? : **Majestrix smirked,**: The con's can go slag themselves, or failing that we'd just slag them (unless they want to defect, in which case that takes the fun right out of it). Don't fret, you've never lost to a con before, and this changes nothing as far as their concerned:**

**: What? But how-:**

**:-Eclipse..: **Majestrix cut her off, and look at her with a gaze that told her to listen,** : ...If you choose to hang onto this, you will **_**never **_**be free of it not matter how far you try to beat it down or turn it away. We can't choose what family we are born into, that is a fact of life, but choosing to live in shame and disgrace for one mech's actions is **_**not **_**an obligation, and one you should **_**never **_**be compelled to bare in the first place... For centuries I lived in shame of what my brother did, I thought I had no right to my life knowing what he'd done, I thought I'd been condemned to an existence in the shadows, living as a ghost for simply **_**being his twin**_**... And then one day I realized, my brother's actions were his own; I had **_**no part in anything he'd done**_**, why should I have to feel guilt for crimes that were not mine to bring to book? From that day on I promised myself that Megatron would never cast a shadow on anything I choose to do by my own right...I can't take your fears away from you, nor promise you with absolute certainly that things are going to get better from here on out. But I **_**do**_** guarantee you this: if you let every decision you make be dictated by the past, then Megatron will have just as good as won, and you will never feel like you can do anything without his legacy forever shadowing your life, and every bot who died, _everyone_ who died **_**at his hands**_**, their memories will be forfeited, all because you cannot bring yourself to accept the reality of where you come from, and where you stand now...:**

For the longest time Eclipse couldn't find the words to think of a reply; as she gazed up into her mother's optics, she suddenly realized what it _really_ was that had been vexing her...

**: ...You really aren't him...:**

Majestrix blinked in mild surprise

**: All these eons, I thought you were his sleeper, the fact that you both came from the same spark made you a liability, and that always worried me; but the more I thought about it, the more I came to realize... I don't hate you because you came from him: I hated you because you still **_**cared about him**_**...:**

Majestrix stilled

**: I know you hated him, but I know you also _wept_ for him, and for so long I couldn't understand why? Knowing Prime hated him so much I wondered why you were the only who stilled cared. I figured that must be why you and Optimus used to fight so often: **

**: Quite the contrary...: **Majestrix corrected with a small smile,**: Optimus **_**never **_**hated Megatronus, he hated what he turned into, but in the back of his mind he always believed there was a way to try and bring him back: and more than once I believed it too:**

Eclipse stared at her mother nonplussed, completely taken aback; seeing the look in her optics, Majestrix explained**,: Before Megatron came to be, he was our brother Megatronus, and we both loved him very dearly. Regardless of the war, regardless of all the death, carnage and destruction he wrought upon Cybertron, he was **_**still **_**our brother, and that's why it was all the more painful for us all these years. You think you're the only who's suffered? I know Optimus still grieves for him in the early mornings, and by extension Elita does too because of their spark-bond: I know Sam regrets destroying the Allspark because he forced him into that position: I know Moonshine has cried for me **_**and you**_**, and Novastar still wakes up from her nightmares on occasion... I know being a 'people person' has never been the corner stone of your character, but I still find it incredible that you never once stopped to consider just _how far_ the collateral has gone...and even after all that, after all the pain he's brought upon us, I still miss him...and for so long I _hated_ myself for that: **

Silence

**: ...I never thought-...: **Eclipse tried to voice her thoughts as something else came to mind,**:...What I don't get is why everybody's so-... 'Okay' with it all, even if we're alive and well, how can everyone be so sure? So confident that this is okay? :**

**: Because that's part of what taking a chance is all about, having faith and the confidence to know people are smart enough to know better: **

**: But why? What guarantee is there?:**

**: There isn't: **

**: B-But I don't understand, how can you be okay with it?: **

**: Sometimes you are sometimes you're not, it depends on the circumstances; But Eclipse, faith is **_**not meant**_** to be understood, you just have it. At the end of the cycle after all is said and done, it's the only thing we have left to sustain us, to sustain our hope...: **

For a long moment Eclipse thought about it, bouncing her mother's wisdom back and forth in her head; for the first time in a very long time the anger she had towards her was gone, neither her pride nor her ego blocked her from contemplating the logic and sense she'd put forward. It felt strange, almost surreal in an objective kind of way; on some level she couldn't help but wonder what their relationship would've been like if she'd stopped to listen sooner...How much had she missed because of it? The thought of it made her guilt grow with regret creeping into her spark, and as she thought about it, something else came to mind...

**: ... You know? Sometimes I used to wonder, was there ever such a thing as hope? After fighting for so long, seeing so much death: I never believed in the concept there could be something better...:** she looked up at her mother with an unreadable look, **: I don't know if I can-...if I'm strong enough for this, but for what this has all been worth; I'll try...:**

**: That's okay sweet-spark...:** Majestrix smiled, and for the first time in a life time, Eclipse wrapped her arms around her mother and hugged her tightly.

For the longest time they just stood there, thousands of feet beneath the waters of the Atlantic; mother and daughter embraced in each other arms. No more words, just the knowing that they had a common ground to stand upon together.

**:... By the way...:** Eclipse suddenly realized,**: How did you know I was down here?: **

**: I taught you how to mask your signal remember? Tracking you is no hard feat; that: and let's just say a little bat told me what you'd been going through...:**

* * *

Back at NEST base: a little while later:

The stars hung in the sky like diamonds; a night so clear that the Milky-way could be seen stretching from one horizon to the next, beyond the distant mountains where the vague glow of Tranquility's light pollution lit up the horizon with a grungy orange aura. Laying flat on one of the many giant boulder stacks near the perimeter fence, Morri let her mind drift with the sounds of the night; the distant howling of the coyotes echoed out from one of the ravines, while all around the insects chirped and clicked their usual night time melodies.

But another sound stood out.

Turning around, she spotted the four familiar red optics and long scorpion-like profile of a familiar drone. "Well? Long time no see" Scorponok greeted, waving his claw as he scuttled up the side the bolder and parked himself next to the brunette: "What're you doing all the way out here?"

"Oh, hi Scorpy" Morri sighed, "Just getting some air"

"After searching the base all day? I don't blame you" the drone sighed through his vents, "They found that hacker yet?"

"No, but how did you know?" she asked

"Rookies know everything, and Primus can they talk when you offer them beer!"

"That's bribery, and they're not supposed to drink while on duty!" she frowned disapprovingly

"Yeah I know, but no matter how well their trained they _still_ get bored; besides I don't give them whole six-packs, only one or two to pass the time: and I make sure to water them down so they don't get over-energized" the scorpion offered with an innocent click of his mandibles.

"So you've not wasted any time getting up to mischief again huh?" she deadpanned as she flopped against the bolder.

"Are you kidding? After all that crazy slag that went down in that other universe I need a change of pace...That and I kinda need some distance"

"Distance?"

"Yeah...you know? To get over..._her_ (or _them_ I should say)..."

"...Oh..." Morri realized as nine familiar blue think-tanks came to mind, "You still them?"

"For the most part: I mean yeah we'll always have New Port, Section 9 HQ, and the safe houses; but it doesn't mean I stop missing them you know?"

"Yeah..." Morri sighed in a downcast tone

"...Do you miss them? The others too I mean"

"Every now and then" she shrugged, "Someone like the Major? It's kinda hard to _not_ be impressed"

"She was 'uncanny' for a human; if she could really be called that considering she was mostly a machine"

"She was human Scorpy: you just had to look a little harder to find it" Morri sighed, before changing the subject, "So? What've you been up to since we got back? I haven't seen you anywhere on the base"

"Well after a month away my burrows needed some serious maintenance work, and a pack of coyotes thought they could move in and breed to their sparks content" the drone frowned in annoyance; "I just finished evicting the last of them yesterday, and drilling an emergency escape burrow so if Geo gets hungry I can get out easily"

"Oh yeah, how's your new 'room-mate' working out?"

"Meh, she's okay I guess?" the scorpion shrugged, "She doesn't mind drones and humans so much, just as long as you don't wake her up when she's recharging; and _pit _can she get cranky when she's slagged off!"

"I'll bet" Morri grimaced

"By the way, I saw the smack-down Deathshot and Longrange had"

"Oh yeah?"

"From what I heard things have been pretty tense of late since the new arrivals joined the ranks; is it true two of them have been thrown in the brig?"

"Yeah, that'll be Longrange and Coldbore" Morri sighed

"What happened?"

"Longrange tried to kill Thundercracker, among other things"

"_Seriously?_ He took on '_Cracker_? ...Pit, of all the seekers he _had _to take _him _on? My condolences to the idiot"

"He did kick his aft pretty hard. But after the way he'd been treating everyone no one can say they're sorry for him; and I think Thundercracker's earned some brownie points with the rest of the guys so that's something I guess?"

"Meh, good for him..." the drone shrugged, "-Oh, I nearly forgot, there's some stuff that fell into one of my burrows I think Miles lost a while ago? Mind if you take it back and ask if it's his?" he asked as he scuttled off the bolder.

"Sure" Morri replied, "-I'll be back in a sec!" he called back as he disappeared among the rocks. For several minutes Morri sat there, lost in her thoughts, until the sound of metallic scuttling came up behind her.

She turned around to face him "By the way, I nearly forgot to ask you about-", but stopped as she laid eyes on the creature standing at the foot of the bolder.

It was a humanoid drone of some kind, but nothing like Frenzy or Rumble; it was smaller than a man with insectoid features and a narrow chest and abdomen that tapered down to the hips, four large red optics, long slender digigrade hind legs, and two long arms armed with claws and lined with thorn-like spikes running up the sides. Alarmed, Morri froze as the creature looked her up and down.

"Oh yeah, you'll do" it said in a high pitched snarky voice.

"What-" But Morri didn't have time to think as the creature leapt forward and tackled her to the ground, grabbing one arm and twisting it up behind her back; she pitched over forward with enough momentum to throw the creature over her and twist the other way so her arm was free. The creature tried to scramble back up onto its feet but Morri was quick to deliver and hard kick to the side of the head before running down into the gully at the side of the bolder.

"GET BACK HERE MEAT SACK!" the creature screeched in a shrill angry voice as it got back up on its feet and gave chase, following the sound of her footfalls through the darkness. As she ran along the gully heading towards the rocks where Scorponok's burrow with hidden, she reached for the radio in her pocket and clicked the button on the side: "Briggs 208 to base! I have a con on my arse!"

**: You what? :** Red Alert's voice came over the radio

"I HAVE A DECEPTICON AND HE'S CHASING ME!-OF!" The creature blindsided Morri, knocking her down and knocking the radio out of her hand:

**: Morri? Morri come in over! Where are- , **the transmission cut out as the creature stomped his foot down on the radio, shattering it to pieces. As Morri scrambled back up onto her feet the creature was quick to grab her by both wrists and tried to tackle her again; but the brunette was stronger than she looked, and didn't spare an ounce of strength as she kicked out at the creature, making it loose its footing. But the damn thing still held on, and as it got back up it took the opportunity and picked her up and threw her down on her side hard. Pain shot through Morri's side as she landed on her hip, and the creature didn't waste time twisting both arms up behind her back, and keeping them up as far as they would go without dislocating both shoulders. Pulling her up onto her feet, he marched her up the side of the gully and towards the perimeter fence.

"Who the hell are you?" Morri growled angrily through her clenched teeth.

"You should know. You and your friends have been looking for me all day" the creature smirked with wicked glint in his optics: "Well guess what? Now I found you!"

"What the hell do you want with me?"

"Information, among other things: once we get you back to base we're gonna have a nice long chat concerning your Autobot buddies" the creature smirked as the perimeter fence came within range: "Oh and you probably might wanna start panicking now..."

Wondering what he meant by that, Morri suddenly spotted a huge mech standing beyond the fence: his scarlet red optics pierced through the dark with a menacing gaze before he turned sideways and transformed back into his altmode: a police cruiser.

"Shit!" Morri cursed under her breath. Not wanting to find out firsthand what a Decepticon interrogation was like she decided to play a different tactic: she purposely twisted her left foot inwards and feigned tripping over. As she fell forward the creature let go of one arm and grabbed her belt to pull her up; she swung her arm forward and as hard as she could she elbowed him square in the face, making him let go of the other arm as he reeled backwards. Twisting around sharply, she punched the left set of optics and delivered a swift right hook to the right side optics, blinding him instantly.

"YOU FOOL! GET HER!" Barricade angrily called over the fence as he transformed back into mechmode. In a blind rage the creature tried to swipe at her, but Morri wasn't going to spare this creep any quarter as she delivered another several punches to its face, neck and torso. With one hard kick she cracked part of its leg joint, making it fall to its knees, and then made a dash for the base. Barricade wasted no time, after crashing his way through the fence he made a bee-line for the human; he barely got within grabbing range of her before the distant sound of blaring alarms echoed over the desert, followed by the sounds of wheels screeching and giant feet pounding.

"You hear that!" Morri called over her shoulder, "Their coming for you! You can give up, fight or run! What's it gonna be?"

But quite unexpectedly, Barricade made a lunge and snatched her up, holding her tightly as he brought her up to his face, and stared her square in the eye. "You got lucky tonight meat sack: but know this, I _will_ come back for you and your friends, and when I do you better tell me what you did with them!"

Morri frowned in confusion: "What? Did what with who?-"

"-DON'T LIE TO ME! I know you've captured them! You and those others who've been-"

The Autobots were now within range.

Barricade knew he was out of time "-FRAG!" he cursed as he dropped her and dashed back to the opening in the fence. Picking his partner up and transforming back into his police cruiser altmode, he fired up his engines and disappeared into the desert; driving away at an impossible speed.

Picking herself up and dusting off the dirt, Morri watched as the Autobot team split into two: Prime, Ironhide, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Kup, Arcee and Trailbreaker drove through the broken fence and gave chase to the Decepticon while Deathshot came into land next to her, accompanied by Ravage, Ashley and Scorponok.

"Are you okay?" Deathshot wasted no time in gently picking her up and scanning her for injuries, "Did he hurt you? Are you-"

"-I'm fine D!" she cut him off, "Just some bumps and bruises is all"

"Even so, do you have any idea what he could've-" Deathshot stopped himself reprimanding her when she glared up at him, "...I'm sorry..." he sighed in exasperation, "But you _are_ okay?"

"I'll live" she sighed

"Shit what the hell was he doing here?" Ashley breathed as he looked over at the fence.

"He came for me (or one of us at least); he needed someone to interrogate"

"Interrogate?" the twelve year old frowned

"Makes sense: but this was reckless" Ravage growled skeptically

"Yeah? Since when did Barricade start taking desperate measures? That's not like him to do something as sloppy as this" Scorponok concurred

As Morri watched the Autobots disappear into the night, Barricade's words suddenly came to mind:

_I know you've captured them! You and those others who've been-_

"... Not unless he had good reason" Morri unconsciously thought aloud

"Huh? What're you talking about?" Deathshot asked

Suddenly realizing what she just said, Morri sighed "Come on, I'll explain on the way back" she gestured for him to follow her as she started walking off in the direction of the base. "Forgive me, but I think under the circumstances I'll escort you back" Deathshot interjected as he bent down to pick her up and gently stashed her away in his cockpit before firing up his engines and taking off.

"Great, so we just galloped over a shit loada desert for nothing" Ashley huffed sarcastically

"Ah the night is young my student, and we have tracking to do" Ravage grinned as he headed for the hole in the fence; too tired to argue, Ashley grumbled something under his breath before trotting off to catch up with the drone. Not wanting to be left out, Scorponok decided to tag along too.

* * *

: A couple of hours later:

Majestrix and Eclipse both transformed as they neared the open air hanger, and as soon as they were on their feet, started slowly strolling back to the base interior. As they walked along, Eclipse leaned against her mother, and Majestrix obligingly put her arm around her shoulders.

"You know? I'm kinda glad we had this talk" Eclipse thought offhand with a small smile

"Me too..." Majestrix smiled warmly, "It's been way overdue"

"And then some" Eclipse concurred, "But seriously, looking ahead in the long run has never been my forte"

"Nor has it been mine, but we do the best we can, that's all any of us can ask for"

"...I've got a lot to sort out..." Eclipse changed the subject slightly, "For one, I need to talk some things over with Moonshine and Novastar, starting with some apologies"

"That's a good place to start" Majestrix agreed, "And perhaps talking with your uncle Optimus too? I know he'd -" she suddenly stopped

"Mother?" Eclipse looked up at her: noticing the mixed look of concern and confusion flickering in her red optics as she stared off into space; "What's wrong?"

"...Do you not hear that? ..." her mother replied: opening up her comm frequency, a whole load of chatter bombarded the femme as she listened to all the worried voices bouncing back and forth between NEST HQ and the Pentagon. Looking at one another in alarm, the two femmes dashed into base and headed straight to the central command hub; there, Optimus and Will were surrounded by their officers and troops, who gazed over at them in slight alarm.

"What happened?" Majestrix demanded.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, now_ I know_ I said there wouldn't be any cons in this particular story, but after going over the draft again, I realized the story arc needed a starting point of sorts, a 'boost' to set the tone and get it going the general direction I want it to go. Barricade _will_ be appearing in the next story for sure, but for now, this chapter was just a little amuse bouche of sorts; to get you guessing as to what might be coming next ;)**

**Concerning the undersea dialogue between Majestrix and Eclipse: This is a breakthrough for sure, but it's not the end of their troubles by far. You'll see in later stories, as I won't give away any spoilers here: sorry :(**

**So now that this story is official over the last hurdle and well on the down-hill run; I'll try to round it off in the next chapter (or 2, depending on the dialogue) **

**Let me know what you think! Many regards! ;D  
**


	12. Chpt 11: Reconcile

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Chapter 11: Reconcile

The following morning: 6:36am:

"So you let him _get away?_" Galloway frowned sarcastically

"_Not intentionally..._" Ironhide scowled up at the monitor

"It is as we've explained sir: We chased Barricade out towards the southern ridge, where _apparently_ some of his buddies were waiting to give him some cover; the EMP bombs took us completely by surprise, and by the time Prime and his troops managed to get their baring back the cons were well out of range" Will explained.

"Majestrix lead Springer, Portia, Blackshot, Velocity and one of our air units out on a search to cover wider ground, but failed to pick up their trail or even spot them" Prowl added

"And for good reason; soon after we lost them Ravage and the hell-hounds were dispatched to try and pick them up, and in the course of tracking them we discovered a trail of ionized aluminum particles" Wheeljack interjected

"And that's relevant _how?_" the NEST director raised an eyebrow

"Ionized aluminum is an effective means of masking one's energon trail: it's the oldest trick in the data-tracks; that, and its possible they might be utilizing some form of stealth technology to mask their presence, both visually and electronically. It's the only explanation as to why I and my team weren't able to locate them" Majestrix added reluctantly

"Okay..." General Moshower sighed: "Putting the botched chase aside; what _did _you manage to learn?"

"Our initial search of the area suggests they know this is our main base of operation. The fact the energon detectors didn't pick them up because of those blind spots in the gullies and surrounding topography and the way in which they were able to deploy the EMP bombs, suggests that they scouted that particular section of the perimeter fence well before hand; and since we can't be sure of how long the hacker was on base, we have no way of knowing just how much data he was able to obtain" Optimus stated in a grave tone.

"The only logical explanation as to how the hacker might have infiltrated the base in the first place: was during the DRD incident. He must have taken advantage of the ensuing chaos and confusion to complete his mission objective. The attempted hack on the classified files must have been an additional study into seeing what consistencies and variables are present during our standard investigation protocols" Prowl added

"But since we caught him in the act (so to speak) he knows that any data pertaining to Teletran's security network is gonna be invalid, because he knows we knew what he was watching for, he'll figure out we're gonna reset the whole security net from the ground up" Will threw in

"So our internal security data is safe for now..." Moshower sighed with a slight sense of relief: "However, this _doesn't_ distract from the fact that the cons now know where we are and what we've got in the way of numbers and firepower"

"Which is why I'm inclined to order an immediate lock-down of the whole facility; nothing goes in our out without my official clearance!" Galloway sternly ordered

"Don't you think that's a little hasty?" Majestrix frowned, "Granted base security is going to need an immediate review (which _I_ will personally see to) with some amendments no doubt. But if the cons are planning something then we have to get out there and find them first, _before_ they have a chance to go on the offensive. We may have enough numbers not to be desperate but we have no idea how many cons might have made planet-fall without our knowing"

"And what evidence is there to suggest their planning anything at all? For all we know last night's incident might have been a bluff? An excuse to try and scare you guys" Galloway threw his hands up in the air.

"I find _that_ incredibly hard to believe!" Ironhide growled

"For what purpose would a con like Barricade pull off a bluff like _that_? It's a foolish ploy that carries a high risk of getting caught if not killed. Barricade is well seasoned in the art of infiltration and scouting, he _wouldn't_ have attempted to get so close to the base unless he absolutely had to" Ultra Magnus concurred.

"And if I may say so sir," Morri interjected, "The hacker _did_ mention they have a base, so going on the assumption there must be a good few cons out there, last night will have provided them with an opportunity to try and figure out how to get one up on us"

"Hey, you're just an intern, so leave the grown-up talk to the grown-ups okay kid?" Galloway flippantly replied

"In case you 'forgot' _sir_, _I_ was the one who nearly got kidnapped last night, so don't go telling me what the appropriate topic of conversation is..." Morri deadpanned in a venomous voice, making it loud and clear she was in no mood to be palmed off with excuses. Will couldn't help but smile as Galloway glared through the monitor with the utmost ire, as if trying to stare down the girl to death; but before the Director had a chance to make an ass of himself, Moshower interjected: "-I agree...what's your thought on this?" he asked the brunette.

"Honestly? ..." Morri sighed, all eyes and optics watched as she spoke frankly: "...I think the hacker and Barricade let on more than what they wanted"

Everyone frowned in confusion

"Interesting: what led you to that conclusion?" the General asked while Galloway sighed in exasperation.

"First of all (and as I said before), the hacker mentioned they had a base so unless that was meant to throw me off (which I highly doubt at this point) the cons have recovered themselves since Mission City; whether or not they've got the numbers and means to take us on in a fight, on our front door-step or otherwise remains to be seen. But there's something Barricade let slip last night, and-, I don't think he was joking _or _bluffing"

"What is it?" Will asked curiously

"Well when he made a grab for me he said: 'you better tell me what you did with them'. Now at first I thought he was referring to the defectors, that he was under the impression that the bots had captured and brain-washed them somehow"

"Well that's a no-brainer" Galloway scoffed

"It would be, were it not for the fact that 'brain-washing' and reprogramming one's personality matrix were strictly forbidden by the Autobots long ago" Prowl replied

"The use of any device to alter the persona of any being was _never_ condoned; I would be damned to the pit before I allow such a technology to serve our cause" Prime stated sternly

"Psychological torture is one thing, but taking away one's free will? Even I didn't stoop _that _low" Majestrix drolled in a flat tone.

"And the cons _always knew_ the bots were straight bullets when it came to something like that: Even Barricade knew torture was only as far as we'd be willing to push the bar" Jetfire added

"Which is why I came to a different theory; when I remembered Barricade also mentioned, ' those others'..."

"Those others?" Moshower quirked an eyebrow

"I don't know..." Morri shook her head, "That's all he said before Prime and the others showed up"

"Well, whatever he meant: we can only assume he's looking to make good on the rest of his threat" Moshower replied

"Which is why (against my better judgement) the president has ordered NEST to get on this while it's still hot: he wants those cons found, captured and interrogated; anything they know, _we_ have to know and pronto!" Galloway stated impatiently.

"The Joint Chiefs of Staff are keen to nip this in the bud too, so as of now, finding those cons are NEST's top priority; our satellite surveillance net will be keeping an eye on things from above, and we'll allot additional man-power when needed. But in the meantime, I'm authorizing Priority-1 clearance so you can have some 'elbow room' to do what you need to do. Just don't go taking liberties without informing us first you hear me?" Moshower stated

"Understood General" Optimus respectfully nodded

"Very good: Moshower out" and with that, the General's video up-link signed off and the monitor went blank.

"..._Just try not to screw this up_..." Galloway grumbled as his up-link went dead too.

"Well that went slight better than I expected" Majestrix said offhand

"Guess Galloway must've woken up on the right side of the bed for once?" Epps threw in

"If that's even possible" Jetfire thought aloud, "With that human it's hard to tell"

"Okay..." Colonel Bishop changed the subject: "How do you want to get started on this Optimus?"

"Have everyone report to the ready room; we'll begin the search with a review of last night's data, and strategy and tactical analysis" the Prime stated

"Will do" the human nodded respectfully, "Major Lennox, If you'd please?" he gestured for the Major to follow him.

"Will there be anything else sir?" Morri asked

"For now your free to go; report to your guardian for today's work detail and we'll update you when we're done" the Colonel replied as he followed Prime out the door with the Major in tow. As she watched them disappear down the corridor, Morri's thought's drifted off back to last night: before Sam brought her out of her musings. "So? What do you think?" he asked offhand.

"About the report or last night?" she glanced at him with a skeptical look.

"Both"

Thinking about it, Morri's eye's seemed to cloud over with uncertainty; as if she were thinking one thing but contemplating another: as she folded her arms and passed a sigh, her uncertainty made itself evident in her voice. "...For starters, I don't know if you noticed it, but Galloway seemed a little...too cool"

"He was a little calmer than I thought he'd be" Sam nodded in agreement as he thought about it, "We've been waiting for Barricade to show up for over two years; I thought he'd flip outright"

"That. And what Barricade said still bothers me"

"You think it was the defectors he was referring to?"

"At first," Morri paused with slight hesitation, as she tried to clarify her thoughts: "...It seemed the most logical thing at the time, but-..."

"But?"

"... Why do I have this feeling that he was talking about something else?" she frowned, as if not quite believing her own words.

"_Could_ it have been anything else?" Sam asked offhand

"I don't know..." Was all Morri found she could offer, "It's just a gut feeling"

"But how many times has that gut of yours been wrong?"

"...That's what I'm worried about..."

* * *

Later that morning:

"You think he was referring to something else?" Tom asked as he handed a stack of human-sized data-pads to Deathshot.

"My gut says he was, but I don't see what else he could've been referring to?" Morri replied; "...If he knows the defectors defected of their own free will he's hardly going to think the bots had anything to do with it if they never resorted to brainwashing in the first place; and since there aren't any cons locked up in the brig I'm hard pressed to think what else there could be" Morri replied as she scrolled down a check-list on one of the pads.

"It's not impossible" Deathshot reasoned, "We've been away for over a month, and in that time Prime and the others attention was greatly diverted; what is there to say something didn't happen that we don't know about? Our surveillance technology may be up to date that doesn't mean we can survey everything at once; something's bound to slip by"

"If that's the case, then the question is what?" Morri frowned

"Don't know" Danny replied offhand, "But I wouldn't worry about it too much; you don't wanna end up obsessing over it"

"True" Morri sighed, "Perhaps it's just me? A lot of the time the right answer tends to be the obvious one anyway"

"Well there you go" Buzzsaw chirped from his perch high above the humans and sniper, "And speaking of 'gut' instinct; what did you say to Eclipse last night?"

Morri stopped working and glanced up at the eagle: "...You mean in the rec-room?"

"Though I can't sense her initial thoughts: I get the impression your words have been rattling around that helm of hers all night...And I sense you're still not quite sure of what _you_ said either"

Knowing he and brothers didn't miss a thing, Morri sighed in uncertainty: "...I was half worried I might have overstepped the mark; but when I talked to Moonshine and she said not to worry about it I left the subject at that. But today Eclipse seems...different, somehow"

"Different is an understatement" Deathshot snorted: "It's like she's a different femme: all the fear she held over her insecurities isn't there anymore; or, not at the front of her mind at least"

"She actually said good morning to Optimus" Tom added, "And she didn't start the morning arguing with her mum or sisters again"

"What happened last night?" Danny asked

"...I'm not sure" Morri replied offhand, making a mental note to go and check it out later: "...But maybe something finally gave? ..."

* * *

Elsewhere:

The brig was quiet today; as Longrange and Coldbore recharged in peace, Ashley crept by and softly paced up to the cell at the very far end of the corridor: the one that had been isolated from the rest, and retrofitted into a medical holding-cell. As he approached, he knew its sole occupant knew he was there as her ears flicked back and forth, she didn't move as she lay on her side, staring up at the wall opposite the cell entrance.

"...What are you doing here? ..." Shadowstar softly asked in a tired horse voice, her tone devoid of any emotion.

"I came to see you..." Ashley replied softly as he stepped up to the stasis field, being careful not to get too close as the force field hummed with raw energy, "...Portia say's you've calmed down a lot since-..." he cut himself off, not wishing to stir up memories of the event that led her to be in here in the first place.

"...The sedatives Ratchet prescribed are helping" she replied, "...It's kinda nice; not being so agitated all the time..." The drowsy tone of her voice made Ashley wonder if she was sedated right now, with the stasis field isolating the air in the cell he couldn't smell anything. But he didn't press the subject, and kept his mind on what he came here for.

"...Listen..." he stated with uncertainty in his voice: "...I came down here to talk to you, about what happened a few days ago..."

"Mother told me you recovered from your injuries" she said offhand

"Yeah, but I wanted to explain something, just so we're clear..." he stated,

She didn't move, but she didn't seem to disregard him either...

"...I _get_ that you've been through a lot, and I'm not going to insult you by saying I know how you feel, because I don't...But what I _am_ going to say: is that while I'm willing to forgive you for what happened, I'm not going to forget it..."

Shadowstar didn't reply

"It's one thing to spite someone and hurt them for the hell of it; but when you're not right in the head and you can't keep it together, it changes things, and I'm not going to waste my anger on you, for two reasons; one, I've got better things to do with my time and I ain't gonna spend it thinking of all the ways I could get back at you for nearly killing my dad. And two..." he hesitated, "...I don't _want _to be angry"

"..."

"...I've not had an easy life you know? I grew up in a rough neighbourhood in a very rough town: everyday you had to make a choice and it wasn't easy for anyone, you could do one thing that would mean trouble, or you could do something else which would mean you stayed clear of trouble. But you couldn't choose both, and most of time I got into more trouble then I should've, and even now there are things I still look back on and wish I could do over, and _do better_...I don't want to be angry, because I don't want to repeat my mistakes" Ashley admitted

"...Your point?" she replied curtly

"My point being: I hope you use your time in here to _really think_ about happened, and don't just go along with the psych-treatment for the sake of getting out of this cell...My dad may be willing to make peace with you over it but I can't I am; _not yet_ anyway"

"Then why forgiveness?" she frowned

"...Because..." Ashley tried to think of the right words, "...If this past fortnight has taught me anything it's that I don't want to become like _him_..." he gestured to Longrange's cell, "I _don't want_ to become so consumed by my anger that I disregard the people I love and care about; trying to hold onto the past isn't going to do any favors: you just get stuck in your ways and ignore the new things that come along. And in the process you forget how to get use to them and so you ignore, or even get angry at them because you didn't take the time to _try_ and understand them..."

"Like me? ..." Shadowstar raised an optic ridge,

Silence

"...I'll admit, I've made some poor choices, some that-, cost me more than I anticipated..." Shadowstar thought aloud, "...But not once did I ever think to doubt in what I believe. I don't procrastinate, I never hesitate, and I've always known what I want and what I don't want...and all I'm left with-, what I've come to understand from all this is-..." she hesitated with bitterness in her voice, "...I don't know anything; and I don't understand _anyone_..."

"That's not true" Ashley objected softly

"_Then why am I here?_" her voice trembled slightly

A long moment of silence stood between them before Ashley replied: "...Because you couldn't let go..."

"..."

"...Stop living in the 'then, and try living in the 'now'..." Ashley sighed as he turned to leave, "...Just think about it okay? ..."

Shadowstar didn't move or reply as Ashley slipped away. She simply watched her reflection in the polished metal plating on the wall...watching her left optic, as it flickered between blue and yellow.

* * *

A little while later:

"I suppose I should be grateful that you still have an inch of forgiveness left for me?" Blackshot thought aloud as she approached Majestrix in her command chair, the Prima glanced sideways at her as she surveyed over The Black Solstus's bridge.

"It would be a start" Majestrix reluctantly sighed, "Though, I wouldn't be so eager to assume that I've totally put aside the events of the past two weeks"

"As if I'd even dare to try" the black femme replied as she stood by the Prima's side

A long moment of silence passed before Blackshot continued: "...I've been doing some thinking...". "Well that's dangerous" Majestrix smirked, but Blackshot silently dismissed it and carried on, "And, I must confess: I find myself both at a disadvantage, and not much wiser for trying to comprehend the state of things as they are now..."

Majestrix stopped what she was doing and gazed over at the femme slightly perplexed: "...Comprehend? As in _why?_ Or _how?"_ she frowned.

"A little of both..." Blackshot reluctantly admitted, "...I'm a cynic, a critic and faultfinder. I don't dare to dream or to hope because such notions are a form of denial: a subliminal means to save the mind from panic and ultimately falling into despair..." she stated: and as she let her thoughts become words, a passive sense of, what could only be described as admittance, came over her optics; "...But I admit, my own prejudice has gotten the worst of me of late, and in so doing I failed to see the logistics in the details"

"Your point being? ..." Majestrix asked cautiously

Blackshot merely frowned: "...I may be in the minority as far as objections to our situation stands; but for the sake of staying on good terms I'm willing to swallow my pride and move on"

Majestrix wore her poker face well, and in the back of her mind something about Blackshot's sincerity didn't quite ring true: "... Just like that? ..." she sceptically replied.

"Considering how I've abused your trust in the past I don't blame you for being skeptical"

"That's an understatement" the Prima deadpanned

"But I've got better things to do than spend my time hovering over everyone's shoulders...that's Carrion's job anyway..." she glanced up at the cyber-griffin vulture that was perched on one of the support struts above the bridge; eying her with a sharp piercing gaze. "At the very least I can put my tactical knowledge to some use"

Majestrix didn't reply

Blackshot knew why she didn't respond (not with optimism at least), and knew there was nothing she could say that would convince her otherwise.

"...How many times have you made such a promise?" the Prima stated unexpectedly; "...And how many times, have you strained it to the point of breaking? ..."

Silence

"...Too much..." Blackshot replied quietly

"... Too much? Or _not enough_ I wonder? ..." Majestrix glanced at the femme with a sharp glare, her crimson optics narrowed dangerously; "Your contempt for the Prime Directive has never once left your mind, why should I believe you now?"

Silence

"...For the sake of not wanting to repeat past mistakes, and for not allowing the past to haunt the present; my inch of forgiveness withstands" Majestrix stated in a lighter tone, before turning deadly serious again: "..._But_; do not forget your own words. You _are_ at a disadvantage; you maybe tactically able to get your way around other people but you don't have the _spark_ to figure out what really goes on within their minds. _Remember that_, the next time you frown upon the humans or one of Prime's bots"

Blackshot didn't reply, and simply stood there as if contemplating Majestrix's wisdom; she then turned to leave, but stopped just as she entered the door, and looked back over at her commander: "...Do you ever wonder why? ..." she asked offhand.

"Why what?"

"Why you still keep me so close after all these years? I outgrew your confidence long ago, and I certainly have no love for Prime's philosophy" Blackshot stated.

"Then why do _you _still hang around? ..." Majestrix shot back with an unreadable look in her optics.

Blackshot said nothing, and headed off out of the bridge.

Majestrix sat there in her command chair; her expression growing broodier and darker as she listened to the femme's footfalls disappear down the corridor. '_After all this time, she still thinks she can get one up on me..._' she thought darkly, '_...What the pit is she up to? ..._'

* * *

Later that day: mid afternoon:

"I _still_ feel useless for not sensing him sooner..." Crystalwing sighed with wiry exasperation as she dragged her hands down her face and rubbed her tired optics under her visor: "If I'd been able to reach my mind out I could've sensed him _before _he attacked Morri"

"What happened wasn't your fault," Portia assured her, "With Shadowstar still not completely present within your family bonds your telepathy will have knock-on effects; and for the duration of her treatment your abilities will be strained even further"

"This couldn't have come at a worse possible time" Prowl sighed in frustration, "Of all the times Barricade chooses to finally show his face, our best possible means of tracking him down is compromised"

"Mother may be the most experienced telepath but she's not the only one" Obsidian reasoned, "Both myself and Twilight have psychically tracked targets before; between us we can pool our abilities together to do a wide-spread search"

"Do you think you'll be up for that?" Ultra Magnus asked

"We're both very strong, we can concentrate on the search _and_ still spare enough energy to support mother's mind as well as Shadow's. Plus with Ravage and his brothers volunteering to help bare some of proverbial weight it should help the search go smoothly"

"Are you sure?" Red Alert frowned sceptically

"Red, I assure you: Ravage won't try anything, and Shadow won't be too much of an issue either. We wouldn't have stepped up if we knew we couldn't do it" Obsidian assured them.

The mechs glanced at one another before nodding in agreement; "Alright, report to the command centre for the mission debriefing, I'll comm Prime and fill him in" Prowl replied as he opened a comm-link to Optimus while the twins smiled and left the rec-room together. As she watched them leave, Crystalwing noticed something moving out the corner of her optic, and upon glancing down, saw Morri standing underneath the table with a cup of tea in hand: "Oh-, hello: what're you doing under there?" she greeted as she bent down to offer her hand to the human.

"Trying to find somewhere to sit and rest: it's my last break before the three to seven shift," Morri replied as the femme brought her up onto the table, and let her sit down in her palm: "...I didn't get to see you the other day; I've been meaning to ask, about..."

"Shadowstar? ..." Crystalwing finished for her, Morri nodded, to which the femme nodded with a nonchalant expression. "She's-...calmed down: and has started listening to us at long last"

"Well that's a start" Morri offered

"It's as good as any, but we've barely started the 'reintroduction' process back into the bonds; and it won't be possible until her mind is ready to accept it" Portia offered

"And since my 'issues' concerning my own grief has yet to be completely addressed: we've both got a long way to go" Crystalwing sighed

"Will you do it together?" Morri asked as she took a sip of her tea.

"Of course, but there's a lot between us we need to resolve first. Break down the barriers that have been barring us from connecting as mother and daughter" the femme thought aloud, "And hopefully her sibling's influence will offer some additional support"

"She's not the only one..." Morri glanced across the rec-room, and gestured towards Eclipse and her sisters as they chatted together. "I'm still amazed at how well she's confronted her issues" Portia smiled

"Indeed; I sense her insecurities are not shadowing her conscience the same way they used to..." Crystalwing sighed, "I just hope-, she keeps what she learnt in mind"

"Well you can never totally banish your fears, they always stay with you in one form or another" Morri reasoned with a shrug.

"Yes; but with Eclipse I sense there are still some things she hasn't totally resolved. Whether she'll be brave enough to face them remains to be seen, and ultimately it will be her choice" the telepath pondered aloud.

"...Do you think she can do it?" Morri thought aloud

"Hm," Crystalwing smiled, "If there's one thing Eclipse always underestimates, it's that she's got more strength than she gives herself credit for. All she needs is the opportunity to truly discover it"

"But for now..." Portia added, "She's done well for herself"

"It would be nice if this 'new' Eclipse can hang around awhile" the brunette said offhand

"Oh I don't think she'll be going anywhere, not if Moonshine has anything to say about it" Portia smiled

"And I have no doubt Novastar will breathe a little easier, now that she's not on the receiving end of her frustration" Crystalwing concurred; she was about to say something else when a small beeping sound emanated from her helm. "Oh, is that the time?" she blinked in surprise. "Indeed, it's time for our three o' clock session; call your creations and we'll head down to the brig..." Portia replied as she finished the last of her energon cube and got up to leave; "Nice talking with you" she waved goodbye to Morri.

"We'll take a-, what do you call it? Water-check?"

"Rain check" Morri corrected, "That'd be great. Good luck..." she waved as the two femmes left the rec-room, and she was left on the table with her tea. Morri was about to jump down into the bench-seat below when she spotted Velocity peering over the back of the seat, from the next table-booth along.

"Oh, hello; where've you been hiding?" she watched as the femme slipped off her seat and came around to stand at the table.

"Oh, around: as soon as you finish one job another needs doing somewhere else..." the femme shrugged offhand; a brief moment of awkward silence passed between them before Velocity spoke again, this time with seriousness and concern in her voice. "...Deathshot-, told me about what happened last night"

"Yeah" Morri sighed, "Pretty close call"

"Close call?" Velocity's optic ridges flew up in surprise: "That was _Barricade_, a close call with him is an understatement. He's a real piece of work and then some"

"Really?" Morri raised an eyebrow, not quite sure if she heard the femme right.

"You should read his profile sometime: Primus does that con have some horror stories..." Velocity stated, "I have to admit; keeping your cool like that, you've got some brass bearings on you" she smiled

"So I've heard" Morri smirked dryly

"I'm serious, most rookies can't take on a con like Barricade and pull off a straight shot let alone keep their cool in the heat of the moment...", she hesitated as a look of mild shame came over her optics, "...I guess, Longrange was wrong about you humans"

"...It's easy to judge on size, but once the chips are down and it's a question of do or don't: you can be surprised by what the little guy can do in the heat of the moment" Morri offered

"Yeah..."Velocity sighed with slight regret as she let her shoulder's go slack, "...Listen; I wanted to apologize for the things I've said...I can be pretty 'critical' if not quite spiteful when I want to be (I won't deny it), but that's just me, it's nothing personal. Being what I am, being with the 9 for so long: when you get used to playing dirty and stooping to some pretty low tactics, you kinda lose track of what's important. And after that whole thing with Longrange, and then Shadowstar, and Eclipse...Well? I guess it's time to move on with life...not much point being stuck in 'yesterday'"

"...'Being spiteful' is an understatement" Morri deadpanned

Velocity stared down at her blankly, "I'm not a sentimental femme, and I certainly don't mind calling it as I see it. With a second in command like Blackshot hanging over your wings it's better to be honest then to try and test her forgiveness. And when you're in the thick of battle and you have to make a move, you have to be certain your teammates or partner can be up to the job. It's not so much a question of spite as it is 'tough love', sometimes you_ have _to push people, and sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind about it; that way people are more subliminally 'encouraged' _to want_ to do better, to _really_ prove themselves. True it doesn't do much for making friends, but it's like you said: when the chips are down and it's a question of do or don't, you'd be surprised what the little guy can do in the heat of the moment;_ if_ he has the right incentive..." the femme reasoned with a small smile.

Something about Velocity's logic didn't sit quite right with Morri: pushing your teammates to do better by effectively bullying them? No way could that end well. But at the same time the sincerity in her voice and the apologetic look in her optics told her she was being honest, and if this was her way of saying sorry, then who was she to be so critical? She decided it would be another argument for another time, but for now, after all the craziness of the past fortnight it would be better to bury the hatchet and move on.

"...I can't say I totally agree with that" Morri stated frankly, "...But, I appreciate your honesty" she offered with a small smile.

"Thanks" Velocity smiled, "...Deathshot made a good call in choosing you for a partner: but be sure to leave some of him for me okay?"

"Oh I can't promise anything" Morri grinned

"Hm," the femme grinned. "Well, I have to be going; they'll be starting the search for the cons tonight, and those checks for the aerial search-patterns aren't going to correct themselves. See ya later kid..." she said as she turned to leave, but stopped and looked back down at the human: "You know, I'm glad we had this talk"

"Me too" Morri smiled, "Catch you at dinner later?"

"I'll try and make it...later" she waved goodbye, and strode out into the corridor.

She didn't notice Deathshot standing in one of the large alcoves in the wall, his arms folded as he watched her walk away; the cold glare in his one optic sharpened dangerously as he frowned disapprovingly at her. As soon as she was out of range, he quietly stepped out and headed into the rec-room.

Velocity headed back to the Black Solstus, and back to her quarters; as soon as she stepped into the 'living room' she headed straight for her recharge chamber. Once inside she locked the door, and disengaged the holoform that concealed the hidden room behind her recharge birth: slipping past the birth and stepping inside, she breathed a sigh of relief as she sat herself down on the bot-sized chaise lounge and gazed up around the room.

From floor to ceiling, the walls were covered in hundreds and hundreds of photo images of Deathshot: all of them depicting him doing various things, and all of them showed he'd been oblivious to being caught on camera, as he didn't look straight into the lens. Some were of him in his altmode, some of them showed him in the heat of a battle or firing a shot, some were pictures of him doing mundane things, but most were pictures of him deep in recharge. She plucked one picture off the wall and held it up; it was a picture of the sniper with Morri sitting on his shoulder. She studied the image for a long moment, before her lips curled into a smile.

"...It's been so long. I can't believe how much you've changed" she said softly as she gently caressed her finger along the picture, stroking Deathshot's cheek, "...I think I prefer the new you. Oh don't get me wrong, I always loved that hard steeled exterior of yours; but I have to confess, she's done a good job at bringing out the gentleness in you..." she said as she ran her finger over Morri's face.

"...I can see why everyone loves her so, she's certainly got spunk, and she's not short of tactfulness...No, she's done you good: but sooner or later you _will_ realize you can never be together; after all, she can't offer what _I _can give you..." She sighed sensuously as she activated her holo-projector and brought up an image of her and Deathshot locked together in an erotic embrace; "...It takes a femme to make a mech _truly happy_, and _you know_ I can make you happy..." she smiled with a devious glint in her optics, "...But, all things in good time, and I'm content to wait. You'll come back to me, in the fullness of time..." she smirked as she activated a laser in her right optic, aimed at the picture, and singed a hole through Morri's face, burning her completely out of the image.

* * *

Later: early evening:

**: This is Majestrix command one, requesting priority clearance over airspace in the vicinity of grid reference six, five, thirty four, twenty two, one, zero: **

**: Copy that Majestrix, you and your search party are cleared to go: **

**: Copy that radar tower: keep your optics and audios hot, anything so much as twitches in the wrong direction I want to know about it:**

**: Affirmative, we got you covered commander: **

As the bots prepared to move out, the kids watched their guardians from up on the suspended walkways as they made the final checks and preparations to their gear and artillery; Que was busy explaining how to operate some of the urban combat weapon prototypes he'd made for the NEST troops, Ironhide was finishing up calibrating his cannons, and the Lambo and Chevy twins were twitching about in excitement, relieved and excited to finally get a chance to serve Barricade his aft.

"Think they'll find him tonight?" Hailey thought aloud as she waved to Bluestreak, who eagerly waved back.

"Barricade's a sly one, he won't be caught so easily" Rumble replied

"Yeahyeahyeahyeah!" Frenzy nodded rapidly, "Won'tgodownwithoutafighteither!"

"It's not just him I'm worried about; if there are more cons out there how many will they run into?" Danny speculated

"If it's a scouting party not many, if more cons have arrived they won't congregate in large numbers unless they're gonna mount a full-scale attack" Rumble reasoned

"Considering the bug was able to best Barricade before, I don't hold a lot of hope for the cons if Prime's on point with his sister covering their tail-fins from above; plus with the rest of his little party it's ten to one in Prime's favor" Thundercracker thought aloud in a brooding manner as he gazed over at Bumblebee.

"Good odds" Tom shrugged

"Alright: Autobots! Transform and roll out!" Prime ordered, and without another word the Autobots transformed and sped out of the base with the NEST armored transport vehicles bringing up the rear: outside the thundering boom of Majestrix's jet engines could be heard firing up as she shot off into the evening sky. As the bots disappeared across the desert and the hanger doors closed up, the kids looked at one another as they sighed in boredom.

"So? Shift's over and the guys won't be back 'till morning...Movie night?" Ashley suggested

"Yeah!" the Waineright twins chimed

"Ohohoh! What about Star Trek?" Glen grinned

"Pft!-" Ashley waved it off, "Hell no, let's have something fun like die hard!"

"What! No way! It's gotta be a Disney classic!" Hailey frowned

"Oh come on! We've not watched a good horror flick in ages!" Tom protested

As the kids continued to debate their choice of movie, Thundercracker shook his head and sighed heavily through his vents as he turned to leave.

Pacing along the empty corridors, he made his way down to the lower levels and the brig, where tonight he'd been given the task of watching over the prisoners. Glancing along at the cells and seeing nothing was out of place, he took up his post by the control terminal and made himself comfy on the one seat by the wall. Tonight should prove to be quiet and pretty straight forward, with all the bots out looking for Barricade, he shouldn't expect any visitors.

However; sitting near the cells, the harsh venomous gaze boring into the back of his helm hadn't escaped his notice, and as Thundercracker glanced over and met said optic's owner, he huffed in frustration...this was going to be a long night.

"I suppose I should be grateful you didn't kill me?" Longrange huffed facetiously

"You mean you should be grateful _Deathshot_ didn't kill you: he _did_ go to town on your aft remember?" the seeker corrected.

Awkward silence

"..So why aren't you out there? I'd have thought you'd be pretty desperate to get out and find your con-buddies so you can warn them of Prime and his little posse" the young sniper taunted him

"*sigh*", Thundercracker sighed, "This isn't going to work"

"Huh?"

"Your attempt to provoke me" Thundercracker stated dryly, Longrange blinked in surprise; "I've been called every curse and name under all the suns of the galaxy kid, little jabs like that have long since worn off of me...They ain't quite worn off you though" the seeker observed

"Pft! As if!" Longrange scoffed in defiance.

"Oh really? How else do you think I was able to goad you into that attack? You rushed head-long at me only 'cause your ego wouldn't stand up to a little bruising...Even when I was your age I wasn't _that_ stupid, and thinking you could best Deathshot? That was just plain reckless" the seeker frowned disapprovingly

Silence

"..What is it about him you like anyway? Bots like him are hated by all you seekers, so what makes him so special huh?" Longrange changed the subject

"It's one thing to hate your enemy for his ideology and what he stands for, but it's another to respect him for his talents. Regardless of how much hatred you have you never underestimate your enemy just because he's the opposing force. And snipers like him are never to be disrespected" Thundercracker stated.

"Hm, at least you know your place" the sniper scoffed

"It's not a question of knowing one's place; he's a good sniper and I'm a good seeker, its mutual respect"

"But he can put a bullet through your helm from up in orbit, how's _that_ for respect?"

"So can you" Thundercracker glanced sideways at him, "..._So why didn't you?_"

Longrange sat in silence with no comeback to insult him with.

"You could've easily taken a shot and killed me without second-guessing. But you didn't: you've got too much anger, too much ego, and not enough patience or self-restraint to temper them with; so I'm left to wonder, what value does an out-of-control hot-headed rookie hold for a top-flight commander like Majestrix? It sure as pit ain't for your snipping capabilities and it's certainly not for your fighting prowess. So the only conclusion I can draw up, is that she _knows_ you can't cut it, but at the same time your much too much of a risk, so rather than leave you to your own devices with another commander, she keeps you close so she can keep a short leash on you..."

Longrange scowled bitterly at the seeker; he knew he was right, but no way in hell was he going to let him have any satisfaction. But much to his surprise, Thundercracker simply leaned back in his chair with a regretful look in his optics.

"It's a always a problem when you get one rookie who thinks he's got it all" The seeker thought aloud, "With the bots discipline is taught, but with the cons it was a way of life: step out of line once and it could be your last. Megatron never took it lightly, and Primus did he make an art-form of it"

"Like that's surprising"

"Not really, but if it was you on the receiving end chances are he'd rip your wings off and have you grounded for a full ten solar cycles...You're lucky those days are long since behind us, and your even more lucky Prime threw you in here. Believe me, there are _far worse_ punishments to be had than just sitting in the brig indefinitely"

Silence again

"...I could've killed him" Longrange blurted out quietly

"Hm?"

"...You say Megatron would rip my wings off? I'd have ripped his spark out before I even let him get close to me..." he said offhand.

Thundercracker simply looked at the young sniper, deep down he sighed internally: _this kid just doesn't get it..._. At the back of his mind something made him thankful that he had been thrown in the brig, if not for everyone's sake than at least for his own safety. The idea of Majestrix keeping a watchful optic over him couldn't have been the only plausible reason she kept him around for so long. Did this rookie really go on missions at one point? Had he been different once? Disciplined? Restrained? Loyal? And had simply descended into what he was now? As he studied the look on the sniper's face, Thundercracker couldn't help but get the impression that something about him was...troubled; as if his anger was not who he really was, but rather his shield against the world. To speculate that he'd been hurt on a deep level at some point in his past wasn't completely beyond the realm of possibility; in his many years as a seeker Thundercracker had seen some pretty embittered warriors try to take him on: just about all of them relied on their anger to get them through life, and the war as a whole. Anger and bitterness tends to stem from tragedy, and at the back of his mind, he wondered if he (or a seeker just like him) had killed someone he loved at some point long ago.

But seeing as Longrange was in no mood to talk (let alone be open about anything), he didn't say anything, and simply let the silence stretch out between them, before something else came to mind: "...Did you ever think, that one day he'd die?"

"Huh?"

"...Megatron; who he was, _what_ he was...There were some days I used to wake up, stare up at the ceiling of my quarters, and think: this is never going to end, _he's_ never going to end. That's how much he hated everything, _everyone_... You know? I look back on my old life and wonder if there was anything he ever really wanted out of the war? Besides gaining the Allspark and using its power for his own means; what then?...In the end I don't believe he could live without the war, even if he'd won and gotten his way, he'd long since gone past the point where he couldn't live without it...couldn't live without the bloodshed, the screams, the terror, the fear and the carnage: he came to love it all too much..."

"...Is that why you up and left? You got scared?" the sniper asked dryly

"In part; I had a number of reasons for defecting" the seeker admitted frankly, "But mostly it was because my curiosity got the better of me...More than anything I used to wonder what would it have been like if things had been different? And the more I grew curious the more I pondered it, until eventually I realized everything I believed in as a con was backwards. Living for Megatron's vision was the dream, and life with the bots was the real world..."

"What slag" Longrange scoffed

"Call it what you will, but it's the truth..." Thundercracker stated as he let his gaze drift off into space: "...War is a storm that reaches far and wide: it destroys everything without mercy, and once caught in its fury it'll never let you go. Your only priority then is to stay alive; your only thoughts are to navigate the darkness, traverse through the rain and wind, and pray the lightning doesn't strike you down...It's not until after the storm passes, that you see just how much damage has been done, and what if anything is left to rebuild..." he mused aloud in an emotionless voice, "...By the time the storm left Cybertron, we saw we had nothing left. And even now we're still trying to put it all back together, even though, there's nothing left to fix; but each other..."

"And what chances do we have on this dirt-ball huh?"

"...When something breaks, you can't always put it back together; but it _does_ give you the chance to try something new. Try following the human's example, and move on..." Thundercracker replied

Longrange sat in silence for a long moment; his temper had long since worn off, but his cynicism was still evident: "...We can't move on..." he blurted out, "How can we? After all we've been through, how can we just leave it all behind?"

"That's up to you rookie; as far as I'm concerned this war is over, and if cons like Barricade have got half a processor they'll know it's not worth it to carry on fighting for a lost cause. The future's what we make of it now, and I intend to see it gets a fair deal..."

"Geez," the sniper grimaced: "You're even more full of slag than Prime..." he huffed as he folded his wings back, laid down on his birth and tried to fall into recharge.

"Perhaps, but at least he makes more sense and reason" Thundercracker glanced sideways at him: _'And when you start to get curious, and wanna ask some questions; come talk to me about it...'_ he thought offhand as he leaned back in his seat, folded his arms, and savored the silence.

* * *

A little while later in the rec-room:

"Come on Hails! Glen's putting the DVD in the machine and the popcorn's all popped!" Miles called out

"Coming!-" Hailey called back, "...Now, _are you sure_ you're gonna be okay? She's had her energon, had her bath: she shouldn't be too much of a handful" she gazed up at Jetfire as he leaned down to offer his hand to Jay-jay. The little femme eagerly hopped on and made herself comfortable in his cupped palm.

"Listen, I used to sparkling-sit Bee and Blue when they were her age, it'll be a synch!" the ancient seeker waved off, "And besides, you'll be up on the upper deck..." he gestured to the highest platform on the far-end wall: the one where the human-sized rec-room was situated on, well above the floor to avoid anyone getting accidentally stepped on. "Now go have fun!"

"Thanks Jets, You're the best!" Hailey called as she ran to the stairs and started climbing up to the platform, "Have fun Jay-jay!"

"Bub-buy!" the sparkling squeaked as she waved her stubble little arm. As soon as Hailey was out of earshot, the seeker got back up and wandered over to the other end of the rec-room; sitting the sparkling down on one of the tables, he sat down, placed his cube of energon next to her, and allowed a big grin to spread across his face. "Alright, so what's it gonna be tonight?" he glanced down at her.

"I wanna storwee!" she beamed up at him while rocking back and forth on her aft

"A story eh? Hmmm..." Jetfire thought a moment as he stroked his metal beard, "Storwee! Storwee! Storwee!" the sparkling begged him. "Ah! I know the perfect one..." he smiled as he leaned down, and spoke in a convincing story-teller's voice. "Once upon a time: there were two little turbo-bunnies called Sunny and Sides, and a big 'ol gnarly turbo-vulture caller Screamer! Who wanted to steal they're energon-carrots!..."

* * *

**Sunny & Sides the turbo-bunnies XDDDDDD I've been waiting weeks for an opportunity to to sneek that in! & no doubt it'll lead to trouble later! XDDDDDD**

**A/N: Well, Only the Epilogue to go and the story will be complete! :D Hope you've liked this cheaper of the Tomorrow's Forever Coming saga: This was a bitch to put together as the story completely ran away from the original draft; I only got about two pages in when the story took on a life of its own and said "F*** this shit I'm doing things my way!". Despite turning out a far cry from what I originally put together, I glad it came out better than expect :) There were several key issues I wanted to touch upon, such as Shadowstar, Longrange, Eclipse and Velocity (keep your eye on her, she's trouble! & I'm talking bunny boiler trouble D:) and several other items in the plot that help lay the ground-work for the rest of the saga. So all in all this turned out splendidly. **

**And without giving out to many spoilers, here's what you can look forward to in the next chapter of Tomorrow's Forever Coming: Lemon's & Cherries: **

**(1) A whole butt-loada new OC's! We get to meet Darren's cousins: Roxy, Allie, Rosy, Jeanie, Lizzy, Violet, Max & Chelsea; and four new femmes: Veebee, Bluebird, Firefly and Tangostar. It's gonna be nuts! XDDDDDD**

**(2) More bot on con action! Barricade will be making more on an appearance so be sure to get a good ring-side seat XD. **

**(3) A serial killer, & a pretty hardcore one at that, so if you don't like blood and gore please feel free to skip those chapter (the story will be rated M for good measure)**

**(4) More mysterious developments, 'naff said!**

**Let me know what you think! much love sweeties!**


	13. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers: just my OC's & the plot.

* * *

AFTER THE STORM

Epilogue

9:48pm: somewhere on the Autobot base:

**: ...Are you there? : **

**: I'm here: **

**: Me too: **

**: I am present also:**

**: Good, we need to talk: **

**: You sounded a little 'fazed' on your last comm alert, anything happened? : **

: **I'm not fazed, it's just-... We're going to have to take this a little slower than I originally thought: **

**: Slower? :**

**: As in, what specifically? : **

**: Probing and recon; we're going to have to get to know our 'hosts' a little better if the plan is to run smoothly, that, and there are several 'potential risks' that must be addressed: **

**: Like Deathshot? He never misses a trick, trying to do anything inconspicuous with him nearby is just about impossible: **

**: I have an idea about how to deal with him; and it might have to involve adding a new member to our team:**

**: Seriously? : **

**: Who? :**

**: I won't say. I've yet to assess if they have what it takes, and what we **_**need**_**: **

**: Okay, but what about the hacker, did he find out about us? :**

**: No, I don't think he had a chance to probe that deep; and actually him getting away like that was a bonus. Thanks to the reboot cycles in Teletran's security network I managed to copy the primary sequence-aligner codes for the whole base. We'll be able to do a lot more with no one being the wiser: **

**: Great, but what about us? I don't know if you noticed but we won't be going anywhere for a while: **

**: Actually, you're both in a good position to do some online information gathering; I have a number of things I need you to do for me. I'll send you the net frequencies so you can access the system server without tripping the alarms, and I'll send you the list as soon as we're done here: **

**: Fine: **

**: So in terms of staying low, what're **_**you**_** doing? : **

**: Watching and waiting; after what happened a few days ago I need to remain inconspicuous, not draw attention to myself: **

**: Easier said than done. You didn't do yourself any favors you know? :**

**: That's **_**your **_**opinion:**

**: But still it would be wise to give them all some distance; stay in the background and let things happen as they transpire. They'll probably forget about it by this time next week anyway? Who cares if it was one little incident? : **

**: That's not a risk I'm willing to leave to chance; there can be no room for further suspicion or doubt, the second we begin to stick out someone might get curious. We **_**have**_** to remain conscious of what we say and do; don't give anyone any reason to think we're any more than what we appear to be:**

**: Alright; so essentially we're all going on the back-burner:**

**: No, the plan will go ahead as promised. We're just going to have to be a little more patient and take the time to make sure we've got all our bases covered, that's all: **

**: And what will we do about Barricade? If the cons are planning an attack then the whole plan is at risk:**

**: I'm already taking counter-measures to ensure we don't lose time or ground; but even if the cons try their luck attacking the base, I've got some 'surprises' waiting in store for them:**

**: Okay...But there's one other 'potential problem' we've got to look into...:**

**: You mean the second hacker? Yes I already know:**

**: Wait-, there was a **_**second**_** hacker? :**

**: There's another con somewhere on the base? :**

**: On the contrary; this one's different. He used the con's hack to cover his own tracks, but unlike the con he **_**actually managed**_** to access the classified files, copy them, and send them to a server somewhere off base. I've tried tracing the signal but every time I lock onto the frequency he used I get redirected to another server, and when I snuck past the firewall to see how he'd done it, I found evidence of a surveyor-matrix programme:**

**: He **_**deconstructed **_**the firewall? Just to get at the files? : **

**: But how could he do that without tripping the alarms? :**

**: I don't know, but whoever he is he sure knows his way around cybertronian tech:**

**: Geez, you make it sound like he's a human: **

**:...:**

**:...:**

**:...:**

**: ...Well? Isn't he another con? :**

**: I've yet to fully investigate, but for now I'm airing on the side of caution. Whoever this second hacker is, if he posse's a threat we have to eliminate him as soon as possible:**

**: But what if it's someone who knows about us and wants in? :**

**: I'll be the judge of that...For now, stay low and don't cause any further altercations; report anything that might be of relevance, and do what you can to probe for information, **_**when**_** you can. I'll call you all again when I have something. Over and out: **

**: Copy that, over and out:**

**: Over and out: **

**: Over and out: **

* * *

At the same time in Washington DC:

"... You nervous?" the gentleman asked as he glanced sideways at his partner.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" his friend replied in a cold factious tone as he kept pace with him.

"Just trying to ease the tension, this is the first time we've all met like this in months" he replied

"Kinda risky, leaving it this long"

"I know; I hope whatever it is, it's worth passing up poker night..." the gentleman sighed as they approached their destination. He knocked twice on the huge double doors, and quietly entered. The room was a huge oval-shaped office with a long deep red mahogany table square in the middle: sitting in the tall chairs on the opposite side was a lady in a sharp black suit and two older army generals with a pair of laptops sitting by them. All three of them glanced over at the two businessmen as they approached the table and took their respective seats opposite them.

"Senator; you're looking well" the gentleman greeted with a smile.

"Considering the circumstances this is as 'well' as I'm going to be tonight..." the woman replied softly with slight sarcasm in her voice; the younger gentleman regarded her with a sour look, which she didn't miss, "...And you can wipe that look off his face Mr Beller, I'm in no mood to be entertaining your attitude tonight" she purred.

The younger gentleman moved to get up but his friend stopped him; "Easy! We're not here to play odds against each other!" he sternly told him: his partner said nothing and leaned back in his chair as he glared at the woman. For a brief second a small smile curled at the corner of her lips before she took on a more proper and composed visage.

"Indeed" one of the general's replied in a cold tone as he moved the laptops to the center of the table, "And while I 'sympathize' with your particular 'plight' Mr Beller: we cannot afford to let personal feelings get in the way. We've all committed our time and energies to this; don't let's be losing our heads for the sake of one little slight"

He knew the general was lying, but didn't say anything.

"Why do we need him here anyway?" the other general asked.

"Because I invited him," the woman coolly replied, "We need him for this"

"In that case, shall we get started?" the older gentleman asked: no one objected, "Okay then, let's start with the reports..." he leaned across the table and clicked the enter keys on both laptops. On the right-hand side laptop, a masked figure appeared on the screen. His whole upper body, head and face was concealed by a hood and mask of some kind, with an amber yellow visor concealing his eyes; a brief second of uneasy silence filled the room before he spoke in a deep electronically distorted voice. "Good evening gentleman, senator: I trust you are all well this evening?"

"Hello Sialas" the senator replied,

"What have you to report?" the first general asked

"Everything's going better than expected; their little 'family drama's' are proving to be a great distraction. And that Decepticon's attempted hack on their system proved to be the perfect cover: no one's had an inkling as to what's going on, and thus I've been able to attain the necessary data. Red contacted me last night with his report: project Hydra is ready to be put into play, and all our sleeper cells are now fully operational and ready to be activated at a moment's notice" Sialas replied

"That's excellent" the second general smiled, "And you'll be pleased to hear that Broadsword has been fully upgraded and updated with said data...However, Project Omega-man has run into some complications and will require some 'additional resources'"

"Very well, contact me on my privet line as soon as we're done here and I'll see to the necessary details" Sialas replied "Oh, and Arkeville has some interesting news too..." he added.

On the second laptop, another face appeared on the screen, this time it was a much older gentleman: dressed in an untidy manner, he had a slim face with sunken squinty eyes, a crooked smile with unflattering teeth, and a mess of uncombed unkempt greyish silver hair, and in the background behind him, there seemed to be some sort laboratory or computer lab of some kind. The two gentleman blinked in surprise, before the older of the two glared at the screen in disapproval.

"What do _you_ want?" he asked in a brooding tone.

"Nothing. Just to let you know that everything you asked for, will soon be a reality" he grinned slyly, "The bugs are all in place, their signals are responding well, and the satellites have not encountered any interference; everything's just about ready to go"

"Fine, but when will it be _time_ Arkeville?" the younger gentleman growled impatiently

"Mr Beller, your 'contribution' to our little venture has been most warmly received, and she's surpassed _all_ expectations; but you cannot rush a masterpiece like her. When she's passed the final tests, she'll be perfected" Arkeville replied.

"Besides" Sialas interjected, "We have to wait for the right moment to strike; she may be powerful but we'll still need the right tactical advantage if she's to have any success. If not, we'll be dead in the water"

"And we've still got the problem of Barricade to address..." the older gentleman changed the subject, "He's still out there somewhere, though I have to hand it to him he's done an incredible job at keeping his head down these past two years"

"Considering how hard we've been perusing him, is it any wonder he's become good at hide and seek?" the first general thought aloud.

"Regardless, we still need him" the senator stated

"What if the Autobots get to him first?" the older gentleman asked

"That won't happen" Sialas stated, "I've already got my units scouting for his whereabouts; it's only a matter of time before the bots flush him out, and when he bolts, we'll step in and reel him in before they have a chance to get anywhere near him"

"On that note" Arkeville interjected, "You'll be pleased to know the long-range telescopic satellites have picked up more of them heading this way, they passed Jupiter's orbit last month and should be making planet-fall anywhere within the next two months. We'll have plenty of fresh meat, or should I say, 'fresh metal' to play with in the labs" he sniggered in a rather creepy way.

"That's good" the first general smiled

"Indeed, but we cannot afford to relax just yet; there's still much I need to do, like take care of all the minor details and loose ends. I'll continue to monitor the situation from here, and I'll update you all with any new developments...Silas out-" Silas said before the laptop switched off and his face disappeared from the screen.

"I better be toddling off too, time waits for no man and I've still got a lot to do here in the lab. Cheerio..." Arkeville grinned as his face disappeared too.

"-Jesus that guy's _a creep_" the second general grimaced as he closed both laptops

"I know" the senator sighed in an unconcerned tone, "But he _is_ an artist when it comes to his particular field of expertise: you have to allow him a little room to dream"

"So," the older gentleman straightened up in his chair, "What now?"

"Now," the senator stated, "We play the waiting game; all good things come to those who wait, and if we play this right, we'll have _a lot_ of good things come our way gentleman..." she smiled with a wicked glint in her eye.

* * *

FIN (For now)

* * *

So, for those of you how know your G1, any names there ring a bell? ;)

That's all for now folks, but rest assured I'll be starting the next story in due course, thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed this leg of the ride! :)

Please let me know what you think, and cheerio for now!


End file.
